Safety Off
by LuckE1
Summary: While trying to break out of his father's mold, and cracking a tough case at the same time, Officer Todoroki Shouto finds himself reluctantly drifting closer and closer to his new, quirky partner. Through a mixture of peril and peace, the new duo tries to sort out their feelings while hunting down a dangerous criminal – and attempt to come out unscathed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

The first thing Shouto noticed when he woke up was the pounding headache and churning stomach that nearly made him vomit right then and there. He managed to hold down the gross feeling and he rubbed his face, his palms pressing into his eyes so hard he saw stars.

After a moment, the nausea passed and he dropped his hands from his face to stare up at a bland-colored, popcorned ceiling with several glow-in-the-dark plastic stars splattered here and there.

Wait… plastic stars?

Shouto felt his heart jump and he jolted up in the small bed—_whose bed is this?!_—and glanced around the room.

The room was covered from head to toe in posters and figurines of the famous idol, All Might. Even the bed covers had his face plastered right on top, his white teeth almost sparkling in the dim room.

Where… Where in the world was he?

He had no recollection of the night before. Did he really get so drunk that he passed out in someone's bed?

Shouto felt sweat run down the side of his neck and he tried to swallow, but his dry throat prevented him. He had to get out of here as quickly as possible.

He went to move out of the bed when his foot got caught in the sheets. He stumbled to the ground in a painful thud, landing hard on his elbows and bare knees.

Bare… knees?

Shouto glanced down at himself and choked on his own spit.

He was naked.

_Why_ in the _world_ was he _naked?!_

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps heading towards the door of the bedroom.

Shouto scrambled to his feet, trying to gain some sense of decency, but before he could even think of an escape plan, the door flung open, sending light from the hallway inside and making Shouto's headache worse.

"Hey, I heard a crash! Are you okay?!"

Shouto grabbed the sheet that had wrapped around his leg and immediately covered his crotch, looking up at the man who stood in the doorway.

He was shorter, with pretty green eyes and dark hair. The light from the hallway touched his tanned face, and Shouto could see the freckles that adorned his cheeks.

He was… cute.

And… familiar?

Where had Shouto seen him before?

_"Kacchan just leave him alone! I'll let him sleep in my room, okay?"_

Ah, that's right. He was at a dumb work party that his coworker forced him to go to at his loft. He had tried to lay low, make dumb pleasantries for the sake of his job, and then go home when the opportunity arose.

So, he had water all evening, but it was obvious that his drink was spiked. He remembered a lot of laughter happening when he took a particular sip, and he wondered if that was the plan from his coworkers all along.

After all, he hadn't been invited to any of the other office parties. It was only a matter of time before they tried to get rid of him for good.

Shouto sighed, reaching up to rub his head. The nausea was back.

"Ah, hey…"

The man hurried to his side and helped him sit back down on the bed, making sure the covers stayed respectively over his lap.

"You're probably super hungover," he said. "Here, have some water."

Shouto dropped his hand from his face and sent a weak glare in the guy's direction. But he was persistent, holding out a glass towards Shouto's face until he relented and took the water from his grasp.

"Thanks," Shouto said, very reluctantly. Everything this guy was doing was screaming suspicion. He needed to stay on his guard but didn't know how to with the pain that was currently throbbing against his skull. It was like an itch he couldn't reach.

"Mmn," the guy hummed. "You should feel better after some rest."

After downing the glass, Shouto glanced around the room again, the harsh colors making his head spin.

He felt ashamed at even bringing up the question.

"Where… am I?" he asked.

The guy chuckled softly, the noise tickling Shouto's ears. He rubbed the back of his head, seemingly nervous.

"Sorry, you're probably really confused, huh?" he stuttered. "You're in my room. I-I just moved into this loft a few days ago."

Shouto narrowed his eyes in question and the guy looked away, his finger reaching up to scratch his cheek.

"Ah, well… I mean. I share the loft with Kacchan, er, Bakugou Katsuki, and Kirishima Eijiro," he said.

As soon as the names left his mouth, his brain was flooded with memories of the night before—how everyone was acting so cold towards him and ignoring his presence if he was near. Kirishima, his coworker, had invited him to the party that resided in his humble abode, and Shouto was certain that it was out of the pleasantness of his own heart that Kirishima invited him.

But as the party went on, Shouto realized that Kirishima's invitation was only to save face with their boss. And not only that, but Bakugou saw it as an opportunity to get his revenge on the robber they caught last week.

It _was_ technically Bakugou's case, but Shouto jumped in and injured the thief right before Bakugou got the jump on him and handcuffed him right on the spot. Bakugou ended up getting all the glory and awards.

But he was also _pissed._

Shouto sighed, rubbing his eyes. Working in the police force was so draining. Especially with these clowns.

"Ugh," Shouto groaned, putting a hand to his left eye. It was feeling sensitive to the light filtering into the room. "So... what happened? Were you at the party?"

"Ah, well, I had a meeting with my new boss so I couldn't go," the man said. "And by the time I got back, you were hammered."

Shouto frowned, dropping his hand. He remembered not purposely drinking any alcohol, so that meant that his assumptions were true. His drink really was spiked.

He sighed and glanced down at his appearance, wanting nothing more than to high-tail it out of there. But without his clothes...

Ah, speaking of which...

"Where are my clothes?" Shouto asked, giving the guy a wary look.

The guy blinked at him for a moment, and his eyes trailed down his bare chest.

Then, his face flushed deep red and he backed away from Shouto, breaking out into nervous babblings.

"A-A-Ah! R-Right, your c-clothes!" he stuttered. "I washed them, but they should be dry by now! I-I'll go get them!"

He scurried out of the room, not daring to look at Shouto, and then quickly returned with a stack of neatly folded clothes. He averted his eyes as he handed them to Shouto.

"Y-You spilled a lot of beer on them. And then you threw up all over yourself," he said. "I tried to clean you up as best as I could, but you were unconscious so…"

Shouto sighed, hanging his head. He quickly took the clothes from the guy, his insides just about to explode. How embarrassing—_mortifying_. He felt angry and violated, and his emotions were about to snap like a brittle twig.

But he took a deep breath and remembered the manners his mother oh so desperately tried to teach him, and then he bowed his head to the guy. Some of it was out of politeness, but most of it was just from sheer embarrassment.

"Well, thanks for your help, I guess," Shouto said, hurrying to throw his shirt over his head. "I'll get out of your hair now."

The guy finally turned his head back towards him and looked him in the eye, his face twisting into concern.

"What? But you're still so hungover," he said.

Shouto waved him off as he shoved his boxer-briefs onto his body, trying to ignore any lingering eyes. He yanked his pants on and fumbled with the button and zipper, his nausea starting to make his insides crawl up his throat.

"I have work to do," Shouto answered, thinking about the case the station was just assigned recently. He was taking the lead with someone new, so he had to meet with Lieutenant Aizawa about it before the new guy showed up.

"Ah—on a _Sunday?"_ the guy said incredulously. "I mean, I have work later today, too, but do you really have to work all day? And this early?"

Shouto sighed. Isn't that what he just _said?_ He didn't have time for this.

"Yeah," Shouto said.

He felt his phone in the pocket of his jeans and pulled it out. He pressed the button on the side and saw the time, noting that it was almost seven in the morning. Good. He still had time to go home and change into his uniform before heading to the station.

He stuffed the phone back into his pocket and gave the man a solid nod.

"Thanks for… whatever this was," Shouto said, turning towards the door. "See you."

He rushed out of the bedroom and out of the loft as quickly as possible. He didn't dare look back into that awful place again.

* * *

When Shouto finally freshened up via a quick sponge bath and several layers of deodorant, he changed into his uniform and rushed down to the station. He would've been more excited to discuss the case if he didn't have his coworkers to deal with.

It didn't matter, Shouto told himself. He wasn't there to make friends. He was there to save lives. Friends would only get in the way.

His head still pounded from the hangover as he entered the nearly empty police station and dragged himself to his desk. He was about to plop down in his chair when he noticed something amiss that caused him to stop short.

His desk was a mess.

Pencil cup turned over, his paperwork scattered and bent, and not to mention the random pieces of trash that rested across his keyboard. He really hoped there wasn't chewed gum on those keys.

Shouto gave an aggravated sigh and started picking up the fallen papers, trying to organize them the best he could. Once he cleared up the trash and put his stuff back in place, he finally sat down in his uncomfortable chair and slumped forward, his hands massaging his temples.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he wanted to throw it across the room. The vibration function was driving him nuts these days, and with the added irritation of the morning's events, he wanted nothing to do with it.

But, like a civilized human being, Shouto pulled it out of his pocket gently and saw that he had nearly 15 unread messages.

All from his father.

Now he _really_ wanted to throw his phone.

"Ah, good morning, Todoroki!"

Shouto nearly jumped out of his skin, which wasn't typical for him. Being raised in a household where his father was the Chief of Police for the city of Tokyo, he was used to loud noises. It had to have been the alcohol. It was making his nerves sensitive.

He put his phone in his pocket and then glanced up to see Kirishima leaning over the cubicle wall, smiling toothily at him.

"Wow, you look horrible," he said, his smile falling. "You okay?"

Shouto blinked at him, feeling annoyance slip in between his ribs and wring his heart. It was making him burn.

"'m Fine," Shouto said, closing his eyes when he heard how much his words slurred.

Kirishima blinked at him. "Are you hungover?"

Shouto frowned and sighed. "Apparently."

"But I thought you told me when you came over that you weren't drinking since you had to come in early," Kirishima said.

"I didn't," Shouto said, rubbing his eyes. "At least, not on purpose."

Kirishima winced and rubbed the back of his head, seeming to understand the meaning behind Shouto's statement. "Aw, geez. Sorry about that, Todo."

Shouto waved him off and sighed again. He really needed some aspirin. Maybe Shinsou would be willing to cooperate today and give him some.

"So why're you here so early?" _'And not as miserable as me?'_ was on the tip of his tongue but Shouto chose to bite it down and swallow it.

Kirishima smiled sheepishly, eyes cast down slightly. "Well, actually—"

"Who're you talking to, Shitty hair?"

Shouto's groaned internally. Of course, he wasn't the only one here this early.

Bakugou popped his head above the cubicle wall and sneered, frowning harshly at Shouto.

"Tch, stupid Candy Cane. Why're you here so early, hah?!" he scoffed.

"Same reason as you," Shouto said, annoyed.

Bakugou rolled his eyes and turned away. "Well, don't expect to get the glory this time, asshole! Stay out of my way!"

Bakugou stomped away, back to his own cubicle on the opposite end of the office.

Kirishima sighed and shook his head, his hand continuing to rub at the red hairs on the back of his neck.

"He doesn't mean to be so…" Kirishima paused and then made a vague gesture with his fist, but Shouto seemed to understand. "Anyway. I'll try to find out who spiked your drink at the party."

Shouto eyed the direction where Bakugou had sauntered off in and then back to Kirishima, who was frantically waving his hands.

"No, no! Katsuki is a tough guy, but he'd never do that to someone!" Kirishima said. When Shouto gave him a flat, unconvinced look, Kirishima sighed. "Well, I know it looks like he did, but it was most likely one of the other officers who came to the party."

Shouto sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his thumbs to his temples again. Kirishima, as frustrating as it was for Shouto to admit, was right. Bakugou liked to win fair and square.

"You're probably right," Shouto said, making Kirishima's shoulders sag slightly in relief. But Shouto then looked at Kirishima sharply. "But, you know the other officers are influenced by his hatred towards me, right?"

Kirishima wilted, nodding pitifully. "I know. I'll try to talk to the rest of them, okay?"

Shouto fiddled with the stack of papers on his desk, his thumb gently grazing the stack. Kirishima was probably the only person in this precinct that would actually talk to him like he was normal. Everyone else either treated him like trash or simply ignored him altogether. He would eat lunch with the guy if it weren't for Bakugou giving him death glares all the time.

Oh well. Friends weren't needed, anyway.

"Thank you, Kirishima," Shouto said.

Kirishima gave him a nod and then also walked off in the same direction as Bakugou's desk.

Shouto released a sigh and then slowly lowered his head to the desk. Maybe a quick nap would be okay. He made it there before Lieutenant Aizawa arrived, so it would probably be fine.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, feeling his shoulders sag and relax.

Just five minutes…

"Todoroki."

Shouto resisted the temptation to bang his skull against his desk. He turned his head to peer up at Aizawa, who stood in front of him with bags under his eyes and a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. While his face screamed disarray, his hair was pulled back and his suit was crisp and pressed. He nodded towards his office.

"Need to speak with you," he said.

Shouto pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Yes, sir."

He followed Aizawa to his office, biting back a yawn, and closed the door behind him.

Aizawa sat on his desk and grabbed a file, handing it over to Shouto. He grabbed it from him and looked at it blearily. He was suddenly wide awake.

It was the case about the long string of murders in the area. All of Tokyo had been on full-alert, gripped with fear. And the killer was still out there, preaching some nonsense about a world without violence and a world with peace.

And the most unsettling thing about it was that 90% of the victims were police officers.

This case file was gold to Shouto. So why had Aizawa given it to him?

"You already know about this case, but these are the details," Aizawa said. "I'm planning to give the same file to a few others, but only to the more experienced."

Shouto felt his chest swell. Aizawa thought him worthy enough to be on the case.

"But I'm not letting you work solo this time," Aizawa said.

Shouto frowned, hand tightening on the file and almost bending it. "Did I… do something wrong?"

He wondered if his father had spoken to Aizawa about anything.

But Aizawa shook his head. "It's not that. You are highly qualified to take on a case by yourself."

Shouto narrowed his eyes. "Then, why?"

Aizawa folded his arms across his chest. "This case is extremely dangerous. Anyone I assign this to is required to work with a partner."

Partner?

Shouto pouted slightly. He's tried to work with people from this precinct before, but it never ended well. All of his previous partners either requested a new one or transferred to a different station altogether.

"Since your relationship with the other officers has been… strained lately," Aizawa began, "I'm assigning you to work with the new transfer."

Shouto perked up, eyes a little wide. "New transfer?"

"Yeah. From Shinagawa station," Aizawa said. "He's the same ranking as you are, although you've had more experience than him."

Shouto twisted his lips, feeling a bit peeved about working with someone new. He wasn't in the mood to be made fun of or given a hard time. He would have to establish his dominance early so that he wouldn't be the victim of more tormenting.

His thoughts were disrupted by three soft raps on Aizawa's door.

"Ah, that must him," Aizawa said. "Come in!"

The doorknob jiggled slightly and then the door cracked opened.

"A-Ah, am I late?"

The familiar voice sent a rock plummeting straight into Shouto's stomach. He whipped his head around and watched as a dark-haired, green-eyed man walked inside—fully clothed in a police uniform. His name on the left side of his chest read "Midoriya."

"Todoroki, this is Midoriya Izuku. He will be your new partner on the case," Aizawa said, gesturing for Midoriya to enter.

Midoriya entered through and then finally locked eyes with Shouto.

"Ah, it's nice to meet…" Midoriya started, and then his voice trailed off as his eyes widened. He pointed at Shouto and blinked rapidly. "Y-You're…!"

Then, Midoriya's cheeks burned red.

Shouto's own face felt hot, and he had to turn his gaze away.

How mortifying.

"I see you guys already know each other," Aizawa said, ignoring the strange tension in the room. "Good. Then once you guys are more acquainted, you can get started on investigations."

Aizawa pressed an identical file to Midoriya's chest and he flinched, scrambling to catch it before it fell to the ground.

"I have a meeting with the chief, so I'll be back in the afternoon," Aizawa said. "I'm hoping you'll come up with some good leads by then."

With those parting words, Aizawa exited his office, leaving Shouto alone with this man who, only a few hours ago, saw his white, pasty, hungover, and naked body. Up close. Shouto rubbed his hand down his face. He wanted to sink through the floor.

"Ah, s-so… You're also a police officer, huh?" Midoriya asked nervously.

Shouto sighed and dropped his hand from his face. He sent yet another weak glare in his direction and then turned away from him, heading to the door.

"Let's just get this started," Shouto said with a gruff in his voice.

"Started?" Midoriya repeated, blinking at him. But Shouto ignored him and left the room, hearing Midoriya squeak and shout a panicked, "Ah! Wait for me!"

Shouto kept going, heading straight to his desk.

"S-So, should we discuss the case together, then? I've heard about it before and I've done my research, but with the little information I had access to at my old precinct, it was hard to get all the details," Midoriya rambled.

Shouto sighed and continued on towards his desk, trying to ignore the pounding against his skull. His stomach was twisting uncomfortably, and he just needed a nap. He seriously wanted to go home.

"I, uh… I actually came up with ideas on where to start looking," Midoriya mentioned as they rounded the corner of the cubicles. "Maybe we can start on…"

His voice trailed off as they both reached Shouto's desk. It was once again covered in trash and his files were scattered about.

Shouto's stomach crawled up his throat.

This was complete madness.

"Um, Todoroki…" Midoriya called tentatively. "Are… Are you okay?"

Shouto whirled around to face him, making the room spin slightly. He could still clearly see Midoriya's pretty eyes and the concerned crease in his brows. But he tried to ignore his looks and he barreled onward.

"Listen here," Shouto began. He felt sweat forming on his brow. "I'm not here to play at friendship or companionship. I'm here to solve this case and put a criminal behind bars." He took a deep breath and loomed over Midoriya, the room still spinning.

"Even though we're partners in this c-case, it doesn't mean you can be all buddy-buddy with me," Shouto continued. "I'm trying to work on my p-promotion, so don't get in my way."

Midoriya blinked up at him, the concern not dissipating. Instead, his hands reached out, lightly touching his shoulders. It reminded him of the light touch just earlier that morning when Midoriya's rough hands touched his bare skin. It was just as warm and just as comforting.

"Todoroki, you don't look so good," Midoriya commented. "Maybe you should sit."

He knew he only meant it out of concern, but Shouto took it as a jab at his pride. He wanted to shove Midoriya off but the swirling sensation in his stomach made him freeze.

Midoriya must have noticed the change because he blinked up at Todoroki strangely.

"Todoroki?" he called.

"Trash can," Shouto strained.

Midoriya tilted his head. "Huh?"

Shouto put a hand to his mouth. "T-Trash…"

Midoriya's eyes widened in realization and he lunged for the nearby trash can. He shoved it to Shouto's chest and he took it with fervor, vomiting up the rest of what was in his stomach. Shouto could hear faint sounds of people gagging and chuckling in the background, and his ears burned hotter.

"Nice one, Candy Cane!" Bakugou's voice called.

"K-Kacchan!" Midoriya yelled in response.

Shouto coughed into the trashcan, all of his dignity gone.

This was going to be a long case.

* * *

"H-Hey, man… Let's just talk this out, yeah? We can come up with a deal."

"Sigh, how troublesome."

"I won't tell anyone at the station! I promise!"

"Hah. That's a good one. Where I come from, promises are never kept. They're only lies."

"Please! Please, just let me go! I won't tell anyone where you are! Please. _Please!"_

"Geez, man. You're being so noisy."

"H-Hey, wait… What are you doing with that? Is that gasoline?!"

"Ah, so you're at least that smart."

"No, wait! Plea—cough! Cough!"

"There. That's perfect."

"Cough, w-wait! Is that a match? No, don't do this! N-No, please don't! Please just let me go! I'm _begging_ you!"

"Funny. I've said those same words to people like you. And you know what…

…No one ever listened."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

_The room looked as it always had._

_Big, intimidating, professional… and always giving Shouto a stomachache. _

_It was another day that his father had come home with a soured expression on his face and his arms flexed by his sides. But that evening, he was more frustrated than usual._

_And so, Shouto ended up training all night._

_Rather, his father's version of 'training.'_

_"You will never become anything at this rate. Do you really want to be just like your failure of a brother?!"_

_Shouto stumbled back and fell to one knee, his arms coming up to shield his eyes._

_"Dad… please, stop. I'm trying!" Shouto said, wiping the blood from his lip._

_"Trying isn't enough. Do better," his father threatened._

_"But—ack!"_

_His father lifted a leg to kick Shouto in the stomach, sending him falling to the floor and rolling over on his side. His hands clutched his stomach. He could already feel the bruise forming on his burning skin underneath his clothes. _

_He was done. He couldn't do this anymore. _

_After a moment of shivering on the floor, he could hear footsteps stomping towards him, and then his father loomed over him with a sinister expression._

_"Get up," his voice commanded, and it was the first warning. Shouto knew this, but his body ached too much._

_"I… I can't," Shouto insisted. Really. The pain was agonizing._

_"You're just not focusing enough! How can you fight off criminals if you can't even defend yourself?" his father loomed, nudging him with his foot._

_Shouto felt a sudden spark of rebellion, that hatred coming out of him that he had tried to bury down. But it shot out of him like a bolt of lightning, quick and bright, and it was far too late to hold back the thunder._

_"But… what if I don't want to become a cop?"_

_His father's eyes flashed._

_"What? What kind of foolishness is this?!" he bellowed, and then reared his foot back._

_"No, wait—eugh!" Shouto tried to shield himself, but his father's foot made perfect contact with his side._

_"You were born for this role, Shouto! Fight me back!" his father yelled._

_"Ow, ouch! No, please, Dad! Please, stop!"_

_"Stop crying and get up! Fight me like a man!"_

_"No! No, no, let me go! Mommy! I want Mommy!"_

_"Mommy!"_

_"Mommy…"_

Shouto awoke with a gasp, his eyes snapping open to stare at the ceiling of his small bedroom. His chest heaved and burned, the residual fear still having a tight grip on his heart. It was dark, and his eyes were wide as he took in his surroundings.

Was he still in his bedroom? Was his father still going to come and get him for more training? Was his mother still sobbing in the hallway?

His eyes traveled down the sides of the bedroom, taking in the blank walls and lack of decorum. There wasn't his petite, book-filled desk, nor the traditional tatami mats on the floor. The room was too small to fit any other furniture other than his bed and nightstand. The only other thing worth noting was the picture on his nightstand next to his phone, the familiar faces of his mother and two of his siblings smiling inside the old frame.

Ah.

So he wasn't eight years old and terrified for his life. He was 28 and well on his way to making the rank of Detective.

He took a deep breath and shuddered as his heart tried to slow down. His trembling hands finally released their grip on the blankets in favor of pressing into his eyes hard enough to see stars.

It had been a few days since his last nightmare, so Shouto supposed the universe thought he was due for one. But why did it have to be on a Monday morning? Especially since he had such an embarrassing day yesterday.

After spitting the last of his vomit up in the trashcan, and once Midoriya had fussed over him loud enough for the entire precinct to hear, Aizawa immediately commanded him to go home for the day.

Later that night, he had seven missed calls from his father.

Shouto sighed and rolled over to press his face into his pillow, barely allowing enough air to filter through. The phone calls were probably the trigger to the nightmare.

Suddenly, as if on cue, his phone rang.

Shouto groaned and reached out blindly to grab it. He briefly thought that perhaps he should change his phone number, assuming it was his father again, but when he forced his face to pop out of the pillows, his heart gave a start when he saw Aizawa's name flashing on the screen. He scrambled to sit up and answer it, his head still aching from yesterday's hangover along with the lack of sleep.

"H-Hello?" Crap, his voice was scratchy. What time was it anyway?

"Todoroki," Aizawa's voice crackled on the phone, but he sounded as if he'd been awake for hours. "We need you to come in right away."

Shouto threw the blankets off of him and hurried over to his closet in the corner. He got his uniform together and balanced the phone on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Shouto asked as he pulled his pants on.

"There's been another victim," Aizawa said.

Shouto froze as his hands still worked on the buttons of his shirt. His mind went blank as he tried to process what Aizawa had just told him.

"W-What?" Shouto stammered.

Aizawa sighed, obviously distraught from the situation. "Just get down here."

"Right. I'm on it," Shouto said.

"Oh, and Todoroki," Aizawa called before Shouto could hang up the phone. "Be prepared for your arrival today. We've got units from other precincts coming."

Shouto fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt. "Other precincts?"

"Yeah. The southern precincts," Aizawa said.

Shouto's back stiffened. He swallowed and took a deep breath.

"All right."

* * *

It was still dark when Shouto left his apartment, the sun not even close to touching the horizon. He knew his hair was a mess and he had bags under his eyes, but he didn't have time to gussy up or make coffee. He hoped and prayed there was coffee at the precinct. He needed something in order to wake himself up.

As he walked inside the precinct, he immediately felt awake as the tension seeped into his skin.

The hallway was empty, save for the few guards that stood in the hall to keep watch. There was a commotion at the end of the hall in the briefing room, and Shouto hurried to get inside.

The room was filled with officers gathered together in groups, all talking in hushed tones with furrowed brows. Shouto's gut tightened at the familiar faces in the room. Several of the officers were from a certain station that contained the illustrious office of the Chief of Police for the whole city of Tokyo.

Just breathe, Shouto told himself. There wasn't any sign of him, yet.

Shouto did as he told himself, breathing in through his nose and closing the door behind him as he headed into the room. He carefully avoided people's stares as he walked by, and he tried harder to ignore their whispers.

Aizawa was in the front of the room sitting on a table next to a whiteboard, his eyes looking down at his phone. Shouto started towards him, wanting to figure out a few things before they got started.

Before he could get to the front, Shouto heard a voice talking lightly in the corner of the room. He turned his head and saw a familiar head of dark green hair and green eyes standing next to a girl with brown hair and a man with glasses. They all seemed to be chatting amicably, the girl touching Midoriya's shoulder with a smile on her face.

Shouto felt irked for some reason. He wondered if he was annoyed simply by his presence or the fact that he was all smiles when the situation was probably messed up.

Midoriya's gaze suddenly met Shouto's, and the other boy lifted up a hand and called out a soft, "Todoroki!" He gestured for Shouto to come join them, that same smile on his face.

Shouto frowned harshly at him, feeling something in his chest burning. He turned his head away and headed towards the front, his stomach in knots. He had bigger fish to fry than to be buddy-buddy with his new partner.

As Shouto approached Aizawa, he looked up from his phone and slumped his shoulders, almost out of relief.

"Todoroki. Good, you're here," he said. He glanced back down at his phone and swiped lazily. "We'll start in a few minutes. We're still waiting for some others to show up."

Shouto tried to hold back a grimace, but he couldn't manage to hide it. His eyes darted around, gazing at the annoyingly familiar faces from the southern precincts before he gazed back at Aizawa and swallowed.

"Is… he here?" Shouto asked, his voice small.

Aizawa's hand stopped, his eyes moving up to look at him. He paused to take in Shouto's appearance, which he was sure looked pathetic.

"And by 'he,' I'm assuming you mean your father?" Aizawa asked. When Shouto nodded, Aizawa blinked at him and then glanced back down at his phone. "Well, it just so happens that the Chief of Police is needed for the press conference at his station right now. So I'll be taking point here."

Shouto could almost feel the stress bleed out of him, his entire body decompressing and relaxing into a slump. He nodded once in response.

"Thank you," Shouto said.

"Are you finally going to tell me what the deal is you have with him?"

Aizawa's question made Shouto's blood run cold. He glanced over to his superior, trying his hardest to keep his exterior calm even though his insides were boiling. His thumb rubbed against his forefinger in a nervous tic.

"It's… nothing. We just don't get along," Shouto said, averting his eyes.

Aizawa looked far from convinced. "Hm. Well, if you insist."

The door to the briefing room opened and a few more officers walked in. Aizawa hummed and pushed himself off of the table.

"All right. It's showtime," Aizawa said dryly. Shouto nodded and turned to leave, but Aizawa grabbed him by the shoulder. "This conversation is far from over."

There was a chill in his voice that Shouto couldn't quite place. He didn't give Aizawa a response. Instead, he just walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall, keeping his hands in his pockets.

This would be fine. He could just listen to the briefing and get right to work on the case without any distraction.

"Ah, Todoroki."

For the love of—

Shouto turned his head to see his green-eyed partner suddenly standing next to him. His two other friends that he had been talking to earlier were standing close by, but not too close, as if wary of Shouto's presence.

"Are you feeling better?" Midoriya asked, looking concerned in that irritating way.

Shouto nodded once, trying to focus on Aizawa's face as he began to speak. Midoriya sighed in relief and smiled softly.

"That's good. I was worried that you might've overworked yourself," Midoriya said.

Shouto's lip pulled to the side. "Yeah."

Midoriya's smile vanished from his face in an instant, as if Shouto's words had dumped a bucket of water overtop of him. He turned towards the front and fidgeted in place, and Shouto stood stiffly next to him.

"All right. Normally, for this case, the Chief of Police would be here to brief you all on the situation. But since he can't be here, you all will have to just deal with me. So I'll just cut right to the chase," Aizawa said.

He flipped the whiteboard over, displaying the horrifying pictures of a burnt and charred body tied to a melted, metal chair. There were gasps and hands covering mouths at the sight of it, every officer in the room stunned. Shouto even straightened his back, no longer leaning against the wall. This was a serious matter.

"This is Officer Nagata. He was found just a few hours ago in an abandoned warehouse near the coast," Aizawa explained.

More whispers, frustrated groans, and clenched fists all spread throughout the briefing room. Even Shouto was a little frustrated. Nagata was one of the few officers who didn't hate his guts.

"His cause of death was just like the other officers that have been left for us to find. Covered in gasoline and burned alive," Aizawa said.

"How awful," Midoriya's brown-haired pretty friend whispered, her hands covering her mouth.

Shouto glanced down at Midoriya to see him clenching his hands into fists by his sides, anger clear in his eyes. It was surprising to see such an expression on the man—he pegged Midoriya to be a softie.

"And, just as always, there were no discernible fingerprints or DNA samples in the area," Aizawa said. "And to make matters worse, we've got no suspects, either."

Shouto frowned. How could the criminal leave behind no trace? It was as if they were a ghost.

He shivered at the thought. He really shouldn't be thinking that way.

"This case is highly sensitive, and not to mention very dangerous since you all are prime targets," Aizawa said. "We're doing things differently now. No one goes anywhere alone. Your partners are to be by your side at all times."

Shouto's brow twitched. What the hell?

"Um, by _at all times_, do you mean even when we go home?" Kirishima asked, raising his hand at the same time.

"It will be difficult to coordinate, but yes," Aizawa said. "I want everyone walking each other home. Take turns walking the other to their home. I know it seems overbearing, but I'm doing this for your protection." He paused, eyes glinting with something cold and serious. "I will _not_ lose another officer. Do I make myself clear?"

The muffled talking stopped instantly, and there were no signs of protest from any officer. Not even Bakugou, who stood there with his arms folded across his chest, looking somewhat petulant, seemed to disagree with Aizawa's new policy.

Shouto, on the other hand, felt an annoying prick in his heart.

"For now, I want all of you to work towards finding a lead so we can put this dangerous criminal away," Aizawa said. "Some of you already have the files on hand. If not, have you and your partner come and get one up here. For those of you who have them, you are dismissed."

With those final parting words, the room dispersed into different directions, and Shouto took that as his cue to head out. He pushed himself up from the wall and headed towards his desk to grab his folder. He thought he was alone, but he could hear the pitter-patter of footsteps behind him.

"Ah, Todoroki, wait up!" Midoriya called.

Shouto regarded him with a mellow stare as he picked up the case file. He noticed Midoriya already had his copy under his arm.

"I was thinking that maybe we could go over some of my notes together?" Midoriya asked. "Some of my friends from my old station were going to the local diner, and I was thinking that more brainpower would help? And we could get some coffee since it's so early and—"

"Fine," Shouto interrupted. His headache was back. "Let's just go."

Midoriya startled, his voice cutting off, and then he smiled, following behind Todoroki.

"Great! I can show you the way!"

* * *

They ended up sitting in a booth at the diner with the two other officers that were hanging around Midoriya at the station. Shouto learned that their names were Iida and Uraraka, and while they weren't too annoying, he still felt put off that he had to interact with them.

Shouto sat next to Midoriya on one side of the booth, softly sipping his tea while listening carefully to the other three chat about the case in hushed tones.

"So this guy always kills his victims in the same manner, huh?" Uraraka asked.

"It appears so," Iida added, hands moving in a chopping motion. "This man seems highly skilled in cleaning up after a kill."

"How do you know it's a man?" Uraraka asked.

"Ah. You have a point."

"Well, did you guys notice that there's a pattern to the deaths?" Midoriya asked, spreading open the documents. He pointed to the list of dates of each death. "The first two deaths were 4 weeks apart. The next death was 3 weeks after that, and then 2, and then 1. And then after that, it cycles back around in the same pattern."

Uraraka and Iida leaned over the table, both of their eyes squinting at the list. Uraraka glanced up at him with a curious look on her face.

"Are you sure this means something, Deku?" she asked.

Deku? Shouto wondered. Wasn't that what Bakugou called him?

Midoriya shrugged. "Maybe. It just seems odd that they would choose to kill on certain dates." He grabbed his steaming mug of coffee, to which Shouto noticed he added three sugars. "Serial killers normally have a deep-seated motive, right?"

Uraraka picked up her own coffee—black, interestingly enough—and shrugged one shoulder.

"Dunno. I've never been acquainted with anyone who was mentally deranged," she said.

Shouto's eyebrow twitched. He scrambled for his tea and tried to drink it carefully, but he ended up burning his tongue.

Mentally deranged? Was that really what a serial killer was?

Then… about his mother…

"That's a bit… harsh, isn't it?" Midoriya asked.

"For a killer? Hardly," Iida commented.

"I guess so," Midoriya said softly, stirring his coffee. He glanced up at Shouto. "What do you think, Todoroki?"

Shouto blinked, surprised that he was being addressed. He set his tea down and gazed over the files and lists of dates. His mind was lost as soon as Uraraka brought up the mentally unstable.

"There isn't much to add," Shouto said. "This guy is just smart and knows what he's doing."

The table fell silent for the first time that early morning, the three friends exchanging awkward looks with one another. Shouto's stomach twisted and he reached back for his tea in a desperate attempt for normalcy. If only he didn't have to have a partner. If only he could work alone like he had wanted to. Then maybe, just maybe, things would be better.

"We're Live now with the Chief of Police for the city of Tokyo, Todoroki Enji."

Shouto nearly spat out his tea.

He whipped his head up to see the TV in the upper corner of the diner, and a familiar face was on the screen.

"Oh, look! It's the chief!" Uraraka said, pointing up to the TV. "He's so tall, wow."

"It is quite the dignified position," Iida said. "He must've worked very hard to get there."

Shouto frowned. Well, Iida wasn't wrong. His father did work hard to get into his position, but his attitude about it all was far from noble.

His father began to speak in front of the people, giving his usual haughty spiel before devolving into the details fit for the press. Once he was finished, a few members of the audience immediately raised their hands to ask questions, and his father's face twitched slightly in disgust. He always hated this part of the job.

It's why his former partner was so much better than him as a police officer.

"Todoroki Enji…"

Shouto jumped, having been yanked from his mind, and glanced over to Midoriya, who was staring at the screen with a confused look on his face. He had a hand to his chin, thinking long and hard.

Oh, please, don't… Shouto thought. Don't make the connection, don't make the connection, don't make—

"Uwah!" Midoriya's face suddenly lit up and he snapped his head back to look at Shouto. He pointed at him. "Todoroki Enji, the _Chief of Police_, is your _father?!"_

_"Get up, Shouto."_

Shouto reeled back, feeling sweat forming on his neck. "Well, I—"

"Oh, so _that's_ why you look so familiar!" Uraraka said. "I've seen you in his interviews before!"

"Ah, yes! That's right!" Iida said, a smile also on his face.

_"Why aren't you trying harder? Do you want to be a failure like the rest of your siblings?"_

"Wow, Todoroki. It must be so cool to have your father as the Chief of Police!" Uraraka cooed.

"You must learn a lot from his experiences as an officer," Iida said.

_"If you don't work harder then you will never succeed!"_

_"You have to learn everything and train the way police officers do!"_

_ "You must become like me if you want to be Chief of Police one day!"_

Shouto fidgeted. His uniform was _stifling._

"I guess," he said stiffly.

Uraraka and Iida continued to chat at him about it, but Shouto could hardly hear a word. It was all muffled, his father's booming voice echoing clearly in his mind. It was getting harder to breathe, the soft noises of the diner becoming louder and louder and more unbearable by the minute.

"Todoroki?"

A gentle hand touched Shouto's shoulder, and he turned his head to see Midoriya looking at him with furrowed brows.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Shouto bit his lip and averted his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at that sad expression, so full of pity. He didn't need pity. He didn't need _anyone._

"Bathroom," Shouto breathed, standing to his feet. "I'll just… I'll be back."

"Huh? A-Ah, wait, Todoroki!" Midoriya called, reaching out.

Shouto kept his head down as he practically jumped up from the booth...

…And collided with a taller body, their piping hot coffee spilling into his chest.

Shouto hissed in pain, looking down at his coffee-stained uniform, the wet spots still steaming.

The other three at the booth all stood to their feet, looking at Shouto with varying expressions of concern.

"Todoroki!" Midoriya called again, his voice more frantic.

"My goodness, are you okay?" Iida asked.

"Tissue! Tissue!" Uraraka said, scrambling to grab some napkins.

Shouto took a deep breath, stunned out of his own panic attack. "Y-Yeah, I'm—"

"Ah, my apologies. I didn't see you there."

Shouto froze, the voice sounding painfully familiar. His pained expression fell and he turned his face up to the guy who had spilled the coffee all over him.

Intentionally.

"I wasn't expecting to see the son of _the_ Todoroki Enji here," the man said, voice loud and condescending. "I hope you can… forgive my actions."

Shouto grit his teeth, ignoring the stinging pain on his chest from the burn. He straightened his back and glared up at the man.

"Inasa."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

He's felt aggravation before. Thousands of times, in fact.

With his incredibly unlovable father always looming over him at every turn, it was easy to be annoyed and angry.

Shouto had always longed for someone to be on his side for once—to have someone who hated his father just as much as he did.

But this man…

This man hated both of them.

And Shouto still couldn't figure out the exact reason why.

"Ah, sorry about your uniform there, Todoroki," Inasa said, _loudly_. The other officers in the diner were starting to stare, but Inasa didn't seem bothered. He only adjusted his badge on his chest and smiled at Shouto conceitedly. "You should probably watch where you're going, though!"

Shouto glared, his hands white-knuckling into tight fists by his sides. He could feel the hot coffee burning on his chest but it was nothing compared to the burning inside of him. He was being pushed again, and he was ready to strike back.

"Whoa, what a face!" Inasa exclaimed.

Shouto grit his teeth. He tried to keep his head cool. He wouldn't be like his father, he wouldn't be like his father, he wouldn't be like his—

"Such cold eyes! Just like your old man!" Inasa chirped.

Shouto felt something in his chest snap. He released a snarl, taking a step forward.

"Do _not_ compare me to him," Shouto snapped.

Inasa's smug smile vanished and a look of rage replaced it. He reached forward and grabbed onto Shouto's collar, giving Shouto a vicious snarl.

"Like hell are you going to talk to me in that tone," Inasa growled. He reared his other fist back, ready to strike. "I ought to teach you some respect since your dear old dad never taught you any!"

Shouto was ready to fight back, his own fist about to come up to shield his face when he saw a flash of dark green, and then a hand was touching his shoulder. Midoriya was suddenly in front of him, eyes wide in concern, and his eyes on Shouto's chest.

"Todoroki, oh my gosh!" Midoriya said. "That has to hurt! We need to get you out of these clothes before the burn gets too bad!"

Both Shouto and Inasa were startled by Midoriya's sudden appearance, their glares gone from their faces.

Shouto blinked down at Midoirya, words unable to form on his tongue.

"Uh," Shouto muttered intelligently. "What are you—"

Before Shouto could say another word, Midoriya grabbed Shouto's wrist and tugged him towards the bathrooms. Midoriya's hand around his wrist was warm, but not suffocating like his father's vice-like grip. It was soft, gentle, and almost…

Wait. What was Shouto thinking?

"C'mon," Midoriya said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

They made it into the bathroom, Midoriya locking the door behind them. He let out a sigh and then turned back to Shouto, relief on his face.

"Wow. That could've been bad, right?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto furrowed his brows as his thoughts jumbled together like a difficult 1000-piece puzzle. Inasa was such a frustrating presence in his life. They were both officers who both hated Enji.

But why did Inasa always take out his hatred on Shouto? Why did Inasa's mere company make his skin crawl and his chest burn?

Why did it seem like it was _Shouto's_ fault that everyone hated him?

"Okay. Go ahead and take your shirt off."

Shouto startled out of his thoughts as the sound of the faucet turned on beside of him. He glanced over to see Midoriya wetting a paper towel with cold water.

"W-What?" Shouto asked, his voice nearly choking.

Midoriya carried on as if he didn't just ask something strange. He gestured to Shouto's chest, holding the wadded up paper towel in his hand.

"We have to treat the burn before it gets too bad," Midoriya said. He nodded towards his shirt. "The longer we wait, the worse it could get."

Now that Midoriya had mentioned it, his chest was beginning to sting in that familiar way he knew all too well. He was hesitant, however, to follow through with Midoriya's instruction. Why was Midoriya being so nice to him?

"Todoroki," Midoriya nudged softly.

Shouto sighed, feeling as if he couldn't get away with anything while Midoriya was around. He moved to unbutton his uniform shirt, slipping it off of his shoulders. He hung it on the nearby paper towel dispenser and then reached for the hem of his white t-shirt, spotting the nasty coffee stain that ruined its crispness. With a sigh, he tugged it over his head and held it in his grasp, holding his breath as Midoriya, once again, was seeing him shirtless for the second time.

Seriously, what kind of prank was this? Did the universe hate him this much?

Midoriya didn't seem too distracted by it, thankfully, but his face fell when he spotted the red skin on Shouto's chest.

"This looks pretty bad," Midoriya said.

Shouto glanced down at the reddened skin, noticing some of it was beginning to blister. Damn that Inasa. He must've just gotten his coffee from the waitress. Had he been planning to spill it on him that whole morning?

"Here, this should help the burning to slow down," Midoriya said.

Then, Midoriya's hand that was holding the wet paper towel reached forward—wait, was he really going to do this?—and pressed it to the burn on Shouto's very naked chest.

Shouto managed to suppress a jolt at its cold temperature but he couldn't stop his face from pulling a slight wince at the sharp sting. Midoriya noticed, of course, and eased up the pressure.

"Sorry. Does it hurt a lot?" Midoriya asked, looking at him in concern.

Shouto shrugged. "Not really." He felt a familiar itch on the left side of his face and subconsciously reached up to touch his scarred cheek. "Nothing I haven't felt before."

Midoriya's eyes traveled to the scar, and then his face twisted into something akin to horror. He lowered his gaze and started stammering.

"I… I didn't know that it was from a burn," Midoriya said, referencing Shouto's face.

Shouto blinked and then snatched his hand from his face. "It's fine."

It really wasn't. But he wasn't going to let Midoriya know that.

To calm his rapidly spiraling nerves, Shouto took a deep breath through his nose. He expected to smell the typical gross smells from a diner bathroom, but instead, he smelled something… fruity?

Shouto blinked and glanced down at Midoriya, watching as his partner concentrated on the burn on Shouto's chest. He took in another deep breath.

Strawberry. Midoriya smelled like strawberries.

Was it his shampoo? His body wash?

Did he really have strawberry-smelling soap?

Why was that so… endearing?

Shouto blinked again and nearly gasped, in shock that his brain could supply such perverted thoughts. What in the world was _wrong_ with him?

He released a sigh, suddenly feeling tense from being this close to the other man, and then cleared his throat.

"You don't have to keep holding that, you know," Shouto said.

He watched Midoriya slowly lift his head up to meet Shouto's eyes, wide and blank, and then travel back down to Shouto's chest. Shouto could see the moment Midoriya's brain made the connection as his freckled cheeks burned red and he nearly dropped the wet towel.

"S-S-Sorry!" Midoriya apologized, taking the towel from his chest. He thrust the towel into Shouto's hand and backed up until he reached the bathroom door. "I-I'll just go get some burn cream! I'm sure the diner has a medkit somewhere!"

He nearly smacked himself in the face with the door as he scrambled to unlock it and open it, and he gave a nervous chuckle and smile to Shouto as he left.

When the door clicked shut, Shouto paused to listen to the silence, and then he slumped against the wall behind him, the cold tile biting into his back. He released a long breath through his lips and hung his head.

This was going to be such a long case.

He wished he could start this day completely over. It was a mess.

And Shouto…

He felt that he only had himself to blame.

Another sigh, and Shouto stood back up from the wall, looking down at the burn on his chest. It was really irritated and red with even more blisters forming in the middle where most of the coffee singed his skin. It stung, but it felt more typical than it did painful.

Ah. He should probably see a therapist.

It felt like ages before Midoriya finally came back with the burn cream. His face was still lightly pink, but he didn't seem as frazzled anymore.

Shouto quickly bandaged the burn on his chest and slapped his uniform back onto his body. He needed to get out of that diner and as far away from Inasa as possible before his temper got the better of him.

Sigh. Was he really so similar to his rotten father, after all?

He walked past Midoriya and to their table, grabbing his case file, and then he headed straight for the exit, deciding to go back to the office on his own to come up with a plan by himself. He would find this crazy bastard of a serial killer and finally earn the rank of Detective, and he would do it without his crazy father's help.

He could do this on his own.

"Todoroki, wait up!" Midoriya caught up to him in a flash and walked briskly beside of him.

Shouto grit his teeth. He just wanted to be alone right now, but Midoriya seemed to barrel through that mindset completely. The man was determined to break through the walls he had so carefully set up.

"So, I had a thought," Midoriya said as they came to a stop at the crosswalk.

Shouto cut his eyes at him and quirked a brow. Midoriya took that as his cue to continue.

"I was thinking that we could go investigate the crime scene ourselves," Midoriya said.

The light had turned green across the street, but Shouto's feet remained planted to the floor. He looked at Midoriya with surprised eyes.

"We can do that?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya nodded, looking more enthusiastic now. "I guess you didn't see our file? Aizawa gave special permission."

Shouto blinked and reached under his arm for the files, opening them up to read the assignments that were strictly directed to Shouto and his partner, Midoriya. And lo and behold, Midoriya was telling the truth. There, right in the print, were the words, "Investigation of crime scene – approved."

"Oh," Shouto said. "Well… that would probably be a good place to start, then."

Midoriya nodded, a small smile on his face. "I think Lieutenant Aizawa really trusts you, Todoroki!" he said happily.

Shouto wasn't too sure about that, but he didn't say anything in response. Midoriya glanced down at the file and quirked his lips.

"The address is here. Ready to check it out?" Midoriya asked. "Or do you want to head back and change into a new uniform?"

Shouto paused and glanced down at himself, still smelling the coffee that had seeped into his fresh uniform that he had ironed the night before. Would it really be worth going back to get a new uniform when they were about to check out a crime scene?

"I'll deal with this uniform for now," Shouto said. He sighed and typed in the address on his phone. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

The first thing Shouto noticed upon arrival was the massive amount of yellow police tape wrapped around the perimeter of the warehouse. There were high-level detectives already on the scene, all standing outside with their faces green.

That wasn't a good sign, Shouto thought as he approached one of the men. He cleared his throat upon arrival.

"Excuse me," Shouto said.

The man glanced up at him, face still pinched as if he was trying to hold back puke. Shouto kept his distance just in case.

"Ah, you're Todoroki? And Midoriya?" he asked, looking at the two of them.

"Yes, sir," Midoriya said with a slight bow. "I'm guessing Lieutenant Aizawa contacted you?"

"Mmn," the man grunted. He tossed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the warehouse entrance and sighed. "Right in there. The forensics team is still working, so the body hasn't been removed yet."

Shouto blinked. "The body is still there?"

"Yep," the man said, nearly choking at the thought. "It's pretty bad, so… Here. Cover your noses when you enter."

He handed them both fresh facemasks and turned away, suppressing a gag. Shouto quirked a brow at Midoriya who only shrugged in response as he slipped the mask over his mouth and nose. Once Shouto mirrored the action, the two of them ducked under the police tape and slipped inside the warehouse.

The reaction was immediate, making Midoriya and Shouto lift up their arms to cover their noses at the smell. They both had forgotten that they had the masks over their faces, but they used their arms as an extra protection anyway.

The smell of burnt flesh and blood was still sticking heavily to the air, making the room feel eerily warm. When they stepped closer, they could see the forensic team hovering around the body—which was still tied to the metal chair—and taking pictures.

The two moved forward towards the center of the room where the body was sitting. Its limbs were still tied to the metal chair, that much was clear. But its face was completely unrecognizable.

It made Shouto's stomach twist. He remembered the last conversation he had with Nagata. It wasn't anything profound—just the two of them bonding over tea flavors in the break room at the precinct. Shouto never imagined that a talk about tea would be the last conversation he would have with the man.

"Ah, I'm guessing you are the two officers Aizawa sent?" one man asked. He was holding a pretty fancy camera in his hands and looked to be breathing normally. It was as if the scene before him was a field of flowers.

"Yes. What can you tell us about Officer Nagata's death?" Midoriya asked. It might've been the dim lighting, but Shouto could've sworn that his eyes looked shiny.

"Well, it was definitely intentional. And the guy knew what he was doing," the forensic examiner said. He gestured for them to follow him towards the body. He pointed to the black marks on the floor. "See this? The man didn't want the entire building to burn down, so he created a buffer around the body."

Shouto leaned forward and stared down at the markings on the floor while Midoriya spoke to the man about the body.

"So… he was still alive when he was burned, right?" Midoriya asked.

"Yeah. Pretty gruesome, right? This guy's a real sicko," the guy answered.

As they continued to talk, Shouto knelt down and peered at the markings to get a closer look. His fingers lightly touched them, eyes roving over the black marks. It looked like the floor had already been pre-burned in preparation for the murder.

Shouto squinted, his head tingling as his hair stood on their ends.

Black marks on the tatami mats…

Yelling, screaming, painful shouts…

A packed bag…

Shouto shuddered as these images flooded his mind all at once. It made his stomach turn sour.

It was probably just the lack of sleep. That was all.

The stress of the case, and seeing Inasa—it all was the cause for the sudden tightness in his chest.

Right?

All he had to do was breathe deeply and focus on his surroundings. Nothing else could possibly make the day any worse.

"Ah, Mr. Todoroki! It's good to see you, Sir!"

"What's the status?"

Shouto's blood went ice cold as his limbs stiffened. He was unable to move from his spot on the floor. Even when he heard the footsteps coming from behind, he still couldn't move. It wasn't until the footsteps stopped right behind him and a shadow cast over his body did he turn his head to look.

Chief Todoroki Enji stood in his decked-out uniform, his eyes looking down at his son.

"Shouto," he said in lieu of a greeting.

Shouto narrowed his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. "Father."

"I see you were assigned to this case. Good. At least Aizawa has _some_ sense," Enji spat.

Shouto frowned. He could feel his blood pressure rise with each word his father spoke. The tightness in his chest started to worsen and breathing became more difficult. He thought about removing his mask from his face but the smell was still powerful. It was amazing that his father could even handle it without gagging.

"Have you found anything new?" his father asked, folding his arms across his broad chest and making some of his medals clang together. He must've just come from his press conference; otherwise, he wouldn't wear so many regalia. They would get in the way of police work, after all.

"Nothing yet. We're still working out the details," Shouto said, trying to keep his answers short.

"_We?"_ his father echoed with a lifted brow.

Shouto nodded his head at Midoriya, who straightened his back when Enji's gaze turned towards him.

"My partner," Shouto said.

"M-Midoriya Izuku, Sir! It's a pleasure!" Midoriya greeted, his voice squeaking. He lowered himself into a humble bow, and Shouto grimaced. Enji deserved none of the respect.

The glorified police chief gazed critically at Midoriya's form and then looked back at Shouto, his face pulled into a disappointed frown.

"Why were you assigned a partner? I thought I told you that others will make you weak," his father spat.

Shouto's heart did a dangerous flip in his chest. He could hear it pounding in his ears.

"It wasn't my choice," Shouto said.

His father only looked more put-off. "How do you expect to become a detective at this rate? You're getting sloppy."

Another pain in his chest, and Shouto felt his eyes burning.

"Um…" Midoriya started, looking uneasy as he glanced back and forth between the two.

"I'm doing things my way," Shouto squeaked out. His voice started to fade once his throat closed up.

"_Your_ way? And how is that going for you so far? Have you caught this criminal, yet?" his father asked.

Shouto bit his tongue. He could hear his mother's screams in his ears.

He needed out.

"I'm… _working_ on it," Shouto said through his teeth. He pushed past his father and headed towards the exit. "I have to go."

"Ah, Todoroki!"

Midoriya's voice called after him but he hurried out and took several steps away from the warehouse, ripping the mask from his face and heaving in strained breaths. He leaned against a nearby building and tried to regain control of his breathing.

He could still hear the various pitches of screams ringing inside of his head, all echoing from the distant past. It was too painful to even think about, and he wanted to push the thoughts far from his mind.

So he closed his eyes. Held his breath. Counted to ten and then back down to zero. And then released the air that was stored inside of his lungs. After a minute or two of this routine, the voices from his memories started to fade from his ears, and his chest loosened enough so he could breathe.

Once Shouto felt somewhat in control again—he was still sweating like crazy, but he couldn't help that—he leaned his back against the building and hung his head.

He never expected to see his father today. How in the world did he end up there at the same time? It was like he had a tracker or something.

"Todoroki!"

Shouto jumped at the voice and looked up to see Midoriya jogging over to meet him, eyes wide in concern and mask off of his face.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked when he reached Shouto's side.

Shouto could feel his hand trembling as he raked it through his hair. He let out a breath and cleared his throat so he could speak properly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I just want to get back to the office and sort out the pictures from the scene."

"Are you sure? Maybe we should call it a day," Midoriya said. "It's… been rough enough already."

Midoriya had a point, but Shouto was too frustrated and proud to admit he was right. He let out a huff of air and turned his head away, trying to think of something else to get back on track with the case.

"Then, let's take a break. I need to change into a new uniform, anyway," Shouto said. "We can meet back in the precinct after lunch."

Midoriya paused for a moment, looking a bit dumbstruck by the suggestion for some reason. But then he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! That sounds like a good idea!" Midoriya said. "I'll get some notes gathered for us and bring it with me."

"Okay," Shouto said, not really caring. He really just wanted to nap. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Mmn. See you later, Todoroki!" Midoriya said, waving him off.

Shouto tried not to wince as he left, but he was still coming down from his near panic-attack, and his body was ready to collapse.

He needed to get far away from everyone as soon as possible.

He trudged back to his small apartment and shed himself of his dirtied uniform, dumping the shirt in the dirty hamper. He donned a clean shirt and climbed into bed, ready for a rest.

But once his head hit the pillow, his mind started to wander and he stared up at the ceiling. He thought back to the crime scene and seeing the familiar markings on the floor. He knew them from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place where.

The screams would always come back, however, whenever he thought of the markings.

Shouto sighed and tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He needed _rest_ while he still had the opportunity.

But he found that rest would escape him as thoughts of his past came back to the forefront of his mind. He didn't want to think about them, but he couldn't help it. Everything about this day had made him feel sick to his stomach.

Shouto rolled onto his side, his hands reaching up to cover his ears. He took slow, deep breaths to try to block everything out, his eyes stinging a bit.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He wanted to go home.

But the biggest problem, he was already at his home.

So why did it feel so empty?

Shouto breathed out, the feeling painful. He thought of silvery hair, soft hums, and warm cuddles until he finally fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to join? The boss would love to have a member like you."

"Nah. I've got my own agenda. I don't have time to deal with childish gang wars."

"Fair enough. I'll give 'em the bad news tonight."

"What, were they scouting me this badly?"

"Of course! Everyone knows of your dirty work. They're impressed."

"Impressed, eh? Well, good for them, I guess. But I ain't doin' it for show."

"Oh? Then what are you doing it for?"

"Hm. Let's just call it poetic justice."

"Haha! How noble of you!"

"Why thank you."

"So… you have a new target?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"Nope. Not yet, anyway. Don't worry, though.

"It will come soon enough."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

_"Ne, Shouto! Take a look at this!"_

_"Ah, Onii-san! Father wants me to study!"_

_"So what? Study later. I wanna show you a cool trick."_

_"A cool trick? Um…"_

_"Don't worry, Shouto. He won't be back for a few hours, anyway."_

_"O-Okay. What is it?"_

_"Here, see? I can light my hand on fire!"_

_"Whoa! Doesn't that hurt?"_

_"Not at all!"_

_"That's amazing, Onii-san! How did you do that?"_

_"Ah, just a trick I learned from—ack! Ouch!"_

_"Ah, Onii-san!"_

_"What is going on in here? Shouto, why aren't you studying?"_

_"Ah… Father…"_

_"Don't blame him. He didn't do anything wrong."_

_"Don't speak to me with that tone. Get out of my sight!"_

_"Ack!"_

_"Onii-san!"_

_"Don't bother with him, Shouto. He's nothing like you and will never be at your level."_

_"B-But…"_

_"No more foolishness! Get back to studying!"_

_"Ah, no! Father, don't, that hurts! Father!_

_"Father!"_

Shouto awoke with a small jolt, his entire body shuddering from the dream. Or a nightmare. Or maybe was it a memory?

He sighed and slowly sat up, noticing how his body shivering from sweat that had formed along his arms and neck. He had kicked the covers off of himself during the middle of his fit, he presumed. Perhaps that was why he felt like he had just been hit by a dump truck.

He rubbed the scar on the left side of his face, the skin feeling tender and itchy, and he reached for his phone.

His heart leaped when he saw that it was almost midnight.

Shouto remembered that he had gone home after Inasa spilled his piping hot coffee all over him, and Midoriya had to…

Shouto's cheeks flushed and he pressed his palm to his forehead.

He remembered the cold cloth to his chest, the burn cream, and the flush on Midoriya's face…

The distinct smell of strawberries.

Shouto held his breath in his chest as he shook his head, wanting nothing more than to forget those memories forever.

He glanced back down at his phone and noticed that there were nearly 20 missed calls and several unread texts—all from the same unknown number.

_Hi, Todoroki! I got your number from Kirishima. I hope that's okay._

_This is Midoirya, by the way._

Shouto's lip twitched. Even his texts were mumbly. He scrolled through a few more texts from his newly acquired partner and stopped at a text that he had received almost twelve hours ago.

_We're still meeting at the precinct at noon, right? Did I get the time wrong?_

Shouto's heart dropped straight into his gut.

Shit. He completely slept through his meeting with Midoriya.

He scrolled through several more texts—all frantically wondering where he was and if he was okay—before he decided to jump out of bed to throw on a pair of pants. He grabbed a hoodie and threw it over his simple white t-shirt and hurried to the front door of his apartment.

Sure, Midoriya was annoying. And he talked an awful lot.

But no one deserved the rudeness that he displayed today. How mortifying.

He swung open the door, ready to race down the hall towards the elevators, but he stopped dead in his tracks, the momentum nearly sending him toppling over and onto the person hunched over on the floor.

It was Midoriya. Still dressed in his uniform, the man was huddled next to Shouto's apartment door, his head leaned back against the wall, fast asleep.

Shouto stood stiff as a board, his mouth agape as he stared down at him. Did he even knock? How long had he been out here, anyway?

He took in a sharp breath through his teeth and let his door shut behind him softly. He knelt down next to Midoriya and peered down at him. His uniform was untidy, his tie crooked, and his hair was in more disarray than usual.

But the sweat and grime of the day didn't seem to drown out the delicious scent of strawberries hanging in the air.

Shouto sighed. Not the time.

He reached forward and gently shook Midoriya's shoulder. The man jerked slightly, his face scrunching up as a yawn escaped his lips. When his green eyes opened and looked up at Shouto, he took a moment to process, and then he sat up straight, his eyes blowing wide.

"Todoroki! You're okay!" Midoriya exclaimed.

Shouto's stomach squirmed with unease. The guilt was somehow eating away at him more than it usually did.

"Yeah. Sorry. It appears that I… slept all day," Shouto said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Midoriya's face twisted into bewilderment. "You've been _sleeping_ this whole time?"

Shouto sighed. "I suppose I was very tired."

Midoriya blinked at him, his brows creasing in worry. He pushed himself up, using the wall for support, and Shouto mirrored the action.

"That… seems like more than just being tired, Todoroki," Midoriya said. "That's more like… exhaustion."

Shouto shrugged, not wanting to speak of it anymore. He looked at him, ready to change the subject.

"Anyway. I still want to regroup and go over what we know about the case," he said. He averted his eyes. "But we can do it tomorrow if you want."

Midoriya's eyes lit up with a new passion. "Actually!" he stuttered, and then he picked up his bag that was on the floor. "I have all of my notes with me right here! We can go over it now if you're feeling up to it."

There was a giddiness in his eyes that wasn't there before. Shouto's guilty conscious was already eating at the inner lining of his stomach. He didn't have it in him to turn him away.

Shouto relented with a sigh and opened his apartment door back up, nodding his head to encourage Midoriya to follow.

"Do you like tea?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya _beamed_.

* * *

"The manager of the nearby motel said that no cameras caught anything."

"Nothing? How can that be?"

"Don't know. The manager didn't really want to talk to me all that much."

"Tch. Probably decided to go cheap and he got poor cameras."

The two of them sipped their teas quietly at the small table in Shouto's dining room. Midoriya's notes were spread out on the table, neatly organized and labeled in file folders and notebooks. They were actually extremely helpful, giving Shouto insight that he hadn't thought of before. But, even though the notes were extensive, it still gave no leads on a suspect.

"Do you have anything else?" Shouto asked him, flipping through one of Midoriya's notebooks. "Or what about witnesses?"

Midoriya shook his head and took a sip of his tea. "Nope. No one saw anything. Not even Officer Nagata's partner."

Shouto sighed and rubbed his eyes. "That's disappointing."

"I know. It seems we're stuck for now until…" Midoriya paused, his face pulling into a wince.

Shouto already knew what he meant.

They would have to wait until the killer struck again.

"I really don't want to have to resort to waiting for another murder to happen," Shouto said.

"I don't, either," Midoriya said. "But… that's what they're all saying to do at the precinct."

Shouto leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, running a hand through his hair. What a mess this had turned out to be.

They sat in peaceful silence for a few moments. Out of the corner of his eye, Shouto could sense Midoriya's head moving back and forth in the room.

"I like your apartment. It's very _you_," Midoriya said.

Shouto twisted his lips, wondering what _that_ meant. He gave a cursory glance around his apartment and then his eyes gazed back down at his tea.

"I didn't want anything fancy," Shouto said. "I had too much of that growing up."

He expected Midoriya to start jabbering immediately, but instead, his partner remained quiet and thoughtful for a moment. He held his tea close to his chest and stared at Shouto from across the table.

"I guess having the Chief of Police as your father has its perks," Midoriya said.

Shouto frowned, looking down at his cup of tea, still full. "That's one word for it."

Midoriya's frown was still on his face, but his brows scrunched up in concern. He placed his cup of tea on the table and rested his arms next to it.

"Do you… not get along with him?" Midoriya asked. Shouto looked up at him sharply, eyes a little wide, and Midoriya was quick to explain. "N-Not to judge or anything! I just noticed that your interactions with that guy at the diner seemed…"

Shouto held his breath in his chest. His stomach was churning too much for him to drink any more of his tea. It wasn't the greatest brew. His mother's tea was always the best…

He pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the man in front of him, noticing that green eyes were still peering at him curiously. Shouto supposed he owed him an explanation, especially since the scene at the diner made things… awkward.

Oh well. It wasn't like his old man was there to hear it.

"My father… always wanted to become Chief of Police. It was a dream for him," Shouto started, the story starting to make his limbs stiffen. Midoriya leaned forward in his seat, taking Shouto seriously. "He waited for that promotion for years, wanting nothing than to take over the system so he could do it his way. He worked his entire life to become the best. It became an obsession for him and it drove him mad."

Shouto risked a glance at Midoriya, taking in his wide eyes, and then immediately glanced away. He couldn't do it while looking at him.

"Anyway. He got to a point where he felt that he would never get the promotion, so he decided to try to groom his children for the position so his legacy could live on," Shouto said. "None of my siblings were good enough for what he wanted, though. So he got stuck with me. His last resort."

Midoriya flinched. "Last… resort?"

Shouto nodded. "I'm the youngest of four. My oldest brother had the most potential, but he was diagnosed with a disease, which made it difficult for him to be physically active. He always had a weak body, so… that didn't work out. My sister didn't have the physical capabilities, either. My other brother had potential, but his grades were poor."

Shouto paused and took a deep breath, looking down at his hands.

"So, he started training me instead."

_"Stop crying and get up. You're not hurt."_

_"Your grades are lacking. No dinner until you've studied for all of your classes!"_

_"Don't you want to get into the police academy when you're old enough?! This is unacceptable!"_

_"Shouto! Don't become a failure!"_

_"You're my most prized and talented son!"_

Shouto shivered and looked away, his shoulders hunching. He was getting locked into his own headspace again.

Midoriya's jaw opened and closed as if he wanted to say something but was unsure of the exact words he wanted to say. He cocked his head and paused to think for a moment, and then he looked to Shouto again with pain laced in his eyes.

"By training, do you mean… like running or cardio? Weights?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto shook his head. "Combat."

"C-Combat?" Midoriya echoed, and when Shouto nodded, he swallowed thickly. "How… How old were you when you started?"

Shouto's stomach nearly bottomed out. "Five."

"F-Five?!" Midoriya yelled. After Shouto nodded in affirmation, Midoriya sat back against his chair, rubbing his cheek. "Did your mom approve of that?"

_"No, don't! He's just a child! You shouldn't be treating him this way!"_

Shouto inhaled sharply. He shook his head and reached up to touch his face, his fingers gently touching the scar on his cheek.

"No. She didn't," Shouto said softly. "She… tried everything she could to protect me. But if she got in the way of his training, then she would get his wrath, too."

Midoriya's brows creased, his lips parting slightly. His hands that rested on the table curled into fists.

Shouto moved his hand to touch the scar more, his hand covering it. "She finally lost it one day, driven to madness, and she poured boiling water on my face."

Midoriya's eyes shined suddenly, and his lips wobbled just a bit. He reached out his hand but stopped, hovering it in the space between them.

"Todoroki…" Midoriya called sadly. "I… I don't—"

"Calling any units in the east block area. There are reports of a disturbance at a factory, over."

Midoriya's radio on his shoulder interrupted him, and the crackle of the machine caused them both to jump. He scrambled for the radio, giving Shouto a quick glance, and then pressed the button on the side to speak.

"Officer Midoriya is in the east block area. What is the status, over?" Midoriya asked.

"Officer Midoriya. A nearby resident heard gunshots and an explosion. There's the possibility of a fire."

Midoriya's eyes snapped up to meet Shouto's, and Shouto nodded in response. They were both thinking the same thing.

Fire. The killer's signature weapon.

The killer could be there. This was their chance.

"Officer Todoroki and I are on it," Midoriya said to the radio.

Shouto stood up from the table and hurried to his bedroom to grab his uniform.

* * *

There were no other officers on the scene when they arrived—only a single fire truck. Smoke was billowing up into the sky, and Shouto could see specks of orange flames trying to eat away at the roof. Their adrenaline was pumping as they slid to a stop near the front doors of the factory, watching as firefighters hurried to put out the fire from the outside.

Shouto glanced at Midoriya and nodded towards the doors, ready to run in, but a fireman quickly stopped them.

"Sorry, boys, but this is too dangerous," the firefighter said.

"We were called to investigate," Midoriya tried to explain. "There's a possibility that this was no accident."

"Well, you're going to have to wait until we put out the fire," the fireman responded. "There's already been one explosion."

"But there could be a murderer inside!" Shouto yelled, pointing to the door.

"Sorry. This factory has highly flammable materials inside. It's not safe for anyone to be near it," the firefighter said. "Now step back. It's safer to be as far away as possible."

He pushed the two of them back behind the lines and then returned to directing his fellow firemen to aim their hoses to the rooftop.

Shouto felt his hands curl into fists by his sides. "We have to get in there."

Midoriya startled next to him. "Huh?! Didn't you hear what he said? We can't go in there!"

Shouto glanced to Midoriya and then back to the building. If he could catch the criminal now then he could gain the title of Detective in no time at all.

He wanted to best his father and beat him to the punch. That way, he could proudly and truthfully say that he did it all without his father's help.

"Fine. You stay here," Shouto said.

He took off towards the door.

"W-What?! Wait a minute! Where are you going?!" Midoriya called after.

But Shouto ignored him and ran past the same firefighter, who also shouted for him to stop, and he went right inside the hot factory.

He coughed and lifted up his arm to block the smoke and he quickly reached for his small flashlight on his hip. He turned it on and quickly maneuvered around the large expanse of the factory, avoiding the flames that were quickly eating up the walls.

Damn it, Shouto thought as he shifted through the debris that had fallen from the roof. It was so hard to _see_.

Suddenly, he heard a shuffling next to him, and then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Shouto whipped his hand back, ready to strike whoever decided to put their hands on him, but the person behind him quickly caught them by their elbow, lifting up their other hand.

"Todoroki! It's me!"

Shouto blinked through the smoke and lifted up his flashlight, shining it right into Midoriya's face.

"Midoriya," Shouto called, lowering his light.

Midoriya coughed and released Shouto's arm. "Are you _crazy?!_ This place could go up in flames at any minute!"

"We have to find this killer!" Shouto explained desperately. He had to find him and arrest him before his old man could get his paws on him.

"I know you want to catch this guy, but you're acting insane!" Midoriya yelled. "Does this have anything to do with your father?"

Shouto recoiled as if he'd been struck. "What?"

"Your father," Midoriya started, taking a moment to cough. "Are you trying to prove a point to him?"

Shouto's brows furrowed. Sweat beaded on his neck as the flames got closer.

"I…" Shouto stuttered.

"You don't need to, Todoroki!" Midoriya said. "You're not him! So you have nothing to prove! You're already great as it is!"

Shouto's breath hitched, smoke going right into his lungs. "Midoriya…"

"We can finish this talk later. But for now, can we _please_ leave?" Midoriya asked, tugging on his sleeve.

Shouto bit the inside of his cheek and looked around the burning building. He sighed and nodded, feeling a little defeated.

"Okay," he said. His eyes traveled towards the door. "Let's go before—"

Suddenly, a black shape moved out of the corner of his eye, grabbing ahold of his attention. He scrambled for his gun on his hip and drew it, pointing towards the corner of the room.

"Freeze!" Shouto yelled.

"H-Huh?" Midoriya yelped, also reaching for his gun. "I-Is that him?!"

"I don't know. But who else would be in here?" Shouto asked. "Come quietly and we won't shoot! Keep your hands up!"

The figure was still in the corner, moving slowly towards them.

Shouto stood straight, still feeling the heat licking at his skin. He reached for his cuffs on his hip, but the heat from the room had made the metal unbearably hot. He yelped and dropped them straight to the floor.

The figure suddenly shifted, using the noise as a distraction, and he kicked over a barrel right into a pool of flames.

Shouto's eyes widened. "What the—"

"Todoroki, get _down!"_

Midoriya pushed Shouto's chest back and lifted up his arms to try to shield them both.

The barrel exploded right in front of them, the force flinging Midoriya's body right into Shouto's chest. It knocked the wind right out of him as they both tumbled backward into the wall and fell to the ground.

For a few moments, Shouto's vision went black around the edges, but it quickly cleared as he sat up and felt his head.

"Damn it," he muttered, looking around. The room was swaying slightly, still bright by the flames, but there were no signs of that figure who had just tried to kill them. "Damn it…"

Shouto sighed and glanced around gently so the room wouldn't spin.

His eyes stopped to the body next to him, his breath catching in his throat.

Midoriya was lying motionless beside him, his right hand a bloody, shrapnel-filled mess.

"Midoriya," Shouto called, hurrying to his side. "Hey, Midoriya. Wake up!"

He held his head and leaned down, putting his ear to his mouth. Shouto breathed a soft sigh in relief when he heard strained puffs of air coming from Midoriya's mouth. He shook his head and carefully lifted Midoriya up in his arms.

"Hang on, Midoriya! We're getting out of here!" he said. He glanced around one last time for the killer and cursed, hurrying towards the exit. "Damn it. Why didn't I listen to you?"

He rushed them out of the burning factory and nearly collapsed to the ground in front of the few firefighters that were on the scene.

"Please help, he's hurt and unconscious," Shouto told them, and was he slurring his words?

Blurry figures of men in white shirts quickly took Midoriya from him, and as soon as the weight was gone from his arms, he fell to the ground, his vision still spinning and spinning. But nothing felt worse than the guilt that was eating his stomach alive.

How could he have let this happen? Had he learned nothing at all?

Midoriya was wrong.

He was no better than his father.

When another man came over to help him sit up, he immediately threw up.

And there went his second clean uniform.

* * *

Shouto sat in the hallway on a bench, just down the hall from the intensive care unit. His head was less fuzzy than it had been when he had first arrived. He supposed the IV that was attached to him on a portable cart was helping.

He sighed, remembering the angry nurses and doctors that were insisting that he stay the night for evaluation, but he refused. He only had a minor concussion. He's had those before and he didn't need a hospital to treat it. Besides, he was too restless and… uneasy to just sit in a bed.

Shouto swallowed as he gazed down at the needle taped to his hand.

_"I'll be okay, Shouto. Really."_

It was all too familiar, making his stomach flutter uncomfortably. He sighed and hunched over, trying to quell the nausea and dizziness that still persisted.

Hospitals… always made him feel uneasy.

He tried to focus on the sounds of the hospital—the pattering of feet, the soft whispers of the nurses, the crying baby down the hall…

Ugh, when would this torture be done with?

"Ah, Todoroki-san?"

Shouto jolted and straightened his back, a wave of dizziness crashing over him.

"Ah, be careful, be careful!" the woman said, gently grabbing ahold of his shoulder to steady him. "We really should keep you overnight."

"I'm fine," Shouto said, rubbing his head. He blinked up at her and finally noticed her scrubs. "How's Midoriya?"

The woman smiled and gestured down the hall. "You can see him now. His surgery went very well."

Shouto swallowed. "Surgery?" he asked as he stood up.

The woman nodded as she slowly led him towards the hospital rooms just down the hall.

"Yes. The explosion sent several small pieces of shrapnel through his hand and wrist, and it ended up breaking a lot of his bones," she explained. "But the surgery was a success! And with the medicine we give him, he'll be able to recover in just a few weeks."

A few weeks? Shouto wondered. Midoriya would have to lay low for that long? He won't like that one bit.

Shouto sighed and hung his head, the guilt eating away at him once again. Everything he touched seemed to turn to ruin.

"Here we go," the woman said, sliding open a door. "You can stay as long as you like. Just make sure you let him rest, okay?"

Shouto nodded and entered inside, allowing the woman to slide the door shut behind him. When he faced the room, his back stiffened.

Midoriya was lying on the hospital bed, still out cold, and his right hand was in a thick cast that went all the way up to his elbow. There were some cuts on his face and arms from the explosion, but other than that, he seemed okay.

Shouto wanted to feel relief from it, but the feeling never came.

He pulled his IV cart with him as he sat down in the chair next to Midoriya's bed.

_"You're not him! You're already great as it is!"_

He sighed and slumped forward, feeling his eyes prick with tears.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya," Shouto apologized softly. "I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have jumped in without thinking. I put both of our lives in danger."

He gripped his knees with shaking hands and hung his head shamefully. He felt like he was going to puke again.

"And now you're hurt because of me," Shouto added. He closed his eyes and closed in on himself again. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"Are you… done apologizing yet?"

Shouto flinched and raised his head, eyes wide as he stared back at a pair of dim green eyes and a lopsided smile.

"Midoriya," Shouto called. "You're awake. Should I get a doctor?"

Midoriya shook his head. "I'm okay. The pain meds are working great!"

Shouto swallowed and creased his brows. "How can you smile at a time like this?"

Midoriya looked at him. "Old habits, I guess. My stepfather was a great influence, I suppose."

Shouto hesitated, not wanting to pry into any of… whatever that was. He simply sat back in his chair and bowed his head.

"Midoriya, I'm still really sorry for—"

"If you apologize again, I'm going to punch you."

Shouto flinched again, his eyes snapping up to meet Midoriya's sharp gaze.

"Were you an idiot for running into a burning building with explosive materials inside? Yes," Midoriya said bluntly. "But your actions… They weren't all in vain."

Shouto blinked at him, eyes wide. "What… do you mean?"

Midoriya glanced around the room, his eyes studying for something, and then they cleared when he gazed in the corner.

"There. Check the pocket of my uniform," Midoriya said, nodding towards his pants hanging on the rack.

Shouto quirked a brow and stood up from his chair, hobbling slowly towards his pants. He stuck his hand inside and grabbed a tissue paper. Disgusted, he glanced at Midoriya for confirmation. Midoriya nodded and gestured for him to pull it out, so Shouto did and opened it carefully.

Inside the wadded up tissue was what looked like a surgical staple.

"A… staple?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya smiled knowingly. "Yep. I found it just outside the doorway to the factory before I chased after you." Shouto gazed down at the staple, turning it over in the tissue. "I'm surprised I caught it! But the fire must've reflected off of it and the shine caught my eye."

Shouto blinked at him, quirking a brow. "So… What does this mean exactly? Why is this so important?"

Midoriya huffed out a small bit of laughter and then immediately regretted it as his bruised body protested. He coughed a bit and used his good hand to point at the baggie.

"Look closer. See anything _on_ that staple?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto blinked and then peered down at the staple again. On its pointy edges was a rust color, dark and red. Almost like…

"Blood?" Shouto asked, whipping his head back to Midoriya, who smiled in return.

"Not just any blood," Midoriya said. "This blood could belong to our killer."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

"Are the blood tests back from that staple yet?"

"Not yet. Forensics is backed up with other cases."

"Seriously?! But our case is about a serial killer!"

"The others got there first, I guess."

Shouto watched as Midoriya sighed and shook his head in frustration. He fiddled with his sling and struggling to get it adjusted to the right height. They were both waiting at a bus stop just after getting coffee.

"We have to get those results right away or the killer could strike again!" Midoriya said, still struggling with the sling.

Shouto blinked at him as he held their coffees. It had been nearly three weeks since Midoriya's release from the hospital, and while the pain had been much better, his patience was running thinner and thinner every day. He was itching to get back out there, but the doctor said it could be another three weeks of recovery along with therapy afterward.

It was going to be a long road to get him back to where he was, but Midoriya wasn't letting any of that stop his involvement with police work. While he was forbidden to be active in the line of duty, he could still help out with the case.

Which meant a lot of coffee runs and a lot of talking.

"It's coming up on his rotation to kill another officer," Midoriya said, his left hand fidgeting with the sling _again_. "If we don't stop him, they could kill someone we know! One of our friends!"

Shouto winced and placed down their coffees on the bench at the stop. He gently pushed Midoriya to sit down next to them and he knelt down in front of him.

"Let me," Shouto offered, lifting up his hands.

"O-Oh, uh… okay," Midoriya said, his cheeks turning red.

Shouto ignored his fluttering heart as he gingerly started tugging on the straps of the sling, pulling it tighter so that Midoriya's hand was elevated and flushed against his chest. Shouto's fingers barely grazed Midoriya's collarbone that stuck out past his t-shirt, but the touch _burned_.

Shouto swallowed again and pulled back his hands, looking up at Midoriya quizzically.

"Is… Is that better?" he asked.

Midoriya startled as if pulled out of a trance, and he nodded frantically.

"Yes! Thank you, Todoroki!" Midoriya said, relaxing against the bench.

"Mmn," Shouto hummed, feeling the tips of his fingers. They were tingling.

"Ah, the bus here!" Midoriya said, hopping off the bench.

Shouto avoided his partner's eyes as he grabbed their coffees and hurried up onto the bus after him. They sat next to each other snugly, Shouto feeling Midoriya's arm brush against his on every bump in the road.

Shouto breathed out, his chest feeling tight. Ever since their trip to the hospital, he's been feeling out of it, especially around Midoriya. His heart, instead of feeling like a lead weight inside of his chest, now felt like flowers that were gently blowing in the breeze. It was an odd feeling and Shouto wasn't sure how to respond to it.

He had never felt this way before. But, then again, it was rare that he felt anything other than anger or apathy.

So in a sense, all of these new fluttery feelings were… new.

"Todoroki? You okay?"

A bump in the road jostled the bus, making Shouto lean into Midoriya's side. He quickly readjusted himself and sat up straight, offering Midoriya a simple nod and quiet hum as a response. Midoriya was looking at him in concern but said nothing else as he sipped at his coffee, and Shouto leaned forward in his seat and prayed for the bus to hurry up.

A few agonizing moments later, they were at the police station. They hopped off of the bus and went inside, Shouto keeping an eye out for Aizawa. They weren't technically supposed to be there, so it would probably be bad if they were caught.

"I'm sure I've got some more notes at my desk that we can use," Midoriya said.

Shouto nodded and pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

"I'll go check the lab to see if forensics is done," Shouto said.

Midoriya nodded and smiled at him. "Meet up when we're done?"

"Sure."

While Midoriya walked over to his desk and started to sift through the stacks of papers there, Shouto turned and headed to the side of the precinct where the lab pick-up station was. It was tucked away in a small corner of the room, and Shouto often avoided it. He hoped and prayed the reason for the avoidance wouldn't be there when he—

"Oh, well would you lookie here?"

Shouto's face immediately pulled into a grimace.

Monoma was standing behind the counter of the lab, smirking maniacally at him with a stack of papers in his hands.

Of course, it had to be Monoma at the lab desk today. He couldn't go one day in this office without someone trying to ruin his life.

"The prodigy is here! Well, what brings you to the dusty corner of the labs at 10 o'clock on a Thursday morning?" Monoma asked. "Sorry, but I don't have any burning buildings for you to run into today!"

Shouto huffed out an annoyed breath and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm here to ask about the staple sample that Midoriya and I found at the factory," Shouto said.

"Oh, is that so?" Monoma asked, his eyes widening to frightening levels. "Perhaps you should beg your daddy to get you the samples instead of me, hm?"

Shouto's eye twitched. "I don't want to cause trouble. I'm just trying to work on the case."

"Ah, but you haven't solved it, yet? I thought you were a genius! At least, that was what your father claimed so heavily to all of us the day you were introduced!" Monoma pushed.

Shouto felt his anger kindle deep within his heart. Those beautiful flowers inside of his chest were starting to singe.

"I just want to know about the DNA tests," Shouto said, trying to remain calm. "Midoriya and I are—"

"Oh, right. Midoriya, of course," Monoma teased. "He seems to be the only one who can tolerate your pretentious attitude."

Shouto swallowed and averted his eyes. His hands turned into fists in his pockets and he felt his shoulders hunch just slightly. He had no words to deny Monoma's accusations. They were all true, after all.

"Aha! Soon enough, you'll push him away, too!" Monoma continued, looking like he was about to go mad. "And then you'll be all al—_ouch!"_

A hand smacked Monoma on the back of his head hard, making him drop all of his papers and reached up to clutch his wound.

Shouto glanced up at his yelp and saw Kendo standing next to Monoma with her arms folded across her chest.

"Must you be this way all the time?" she scolded, looking disgusted with him. Monoma whimpered in reply, staring up at her with tears in his eyes. Kendo rolled her eyes and faced Shouto, her hand on her hip. "Sorry about him. What can we help you with?"

The embers in Shouto's chest died down and he relaxed. He felt like he could breathe again. He would have to send Kendo a thank you card for all her hard work. She really had to put up with a lot.

"I'm here about the staple that Midoriya and I found at the factory," Shouto said.

Kendo put a hand to her chin. "Staple…" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. Then, her mind shifted into clarity and she opened her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Oh, right! That bloody surgical staple you guys found."

"Yes, that's the one," Shouto said. "Have you found out anything about the blood that was on it?"

Kendo frowned and shook her head softly. "Sorry. We haven't gotten to it yet."

Shouto blinked at her quietly. "You haven't gotten to it yet?" he echoed, and Kendo nodded in response. "But… it's almost been three weeks."

Kendo sighed sympathetically. "I know. But we're so backed up here that we haven't been able to even look at the staple yet."

The embers sparked again. "But this could lead us to the serial killer!"

"Yeah, and so can a lot of this other stuff," Kendo said, gesturing towards the piles of other samples that they had yet to get to. "You and Midoriya are not the only ones working on that case."

Shouto frowned, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Is there any way I could convince you to move ours up sooner?"

Monoma scoffed. "What, are you going to pay us off with your father's money?"

Kendo elbowed him in the stomach, making him sputter and double over and clutch at his gut. She straightened and folded her arms across her chest and sighed, shaking her head at Shouto.

"I mean, I'll try my best to move things along, but we need another lab tech to move things forward," she said. "It's the best I can give you for now. Sorry."

Shouto paused and held in a sigh. Well, at least it wasn't _nothing._

"Okay," Shouto said with a nod. He bowed his head gratefully towards her. "Thank you, Kendo-san."

Kendo blinked, looking a little shocked. Even Monoma paused in his blubbering to look at him with a look of disgust.

"Uh, yeah. Sure thing, Todoroki," Kendo said.

Shouto gave one more nod and turned back towards the rest of the precinct, his feet about to take him back to Midoriya's desk, but he froze, his feet stuttering to a stop.

Bakugou was at Midoriya's desk, his arm thrown over his partner's neck. His face was twisted up in rage as always, but Midoriya was laughing and smiling at him, saying something that Shouto couldn't hear.

Something ugly twisted inside Shouto's stomach. The fire in his chest bloomed once again, but it felt different this time. It wasn't necessarily anger, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what was wrong with him.

He just hated the sight displayed right in front of him.

"Jealous, are we?"

Shouto startled, whipping his head back to see Monoma sneering at him again. He was still hunched over slightly, his hand touching his store stomach, but he still had the strength to keep pushing buttons. It seemed Kendo had walked back into the lab to work on more, leaving this miscreant to run the lab counter by himself.

"Jealous?" Shouto echoed.

Monoma nodded towards Midoriya and Bakugou. "Of course! It's written all over your face." He stood up straight and smiled scarily. "It seems you do have a heart underneath all that ice!"

Shouto glared at him and huffed, choosing to ignore the idiot. He moved forward to Midoriya's desk, watching as Bakugou still held onto his partner.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya chuckled.

"Shut it, Nerd! You're cooking tonight, got it?" Bakugou said.

Shouto felt his lip twitch. That was right. They lived together. How could he forget?

"I said fine! I was going to make some chicken!" Midoriya said.

"No, idiot!" Bakugou yelled. "Beef! Shitty Hair and I want _beef!"_

"Chicken is better for you, though," Midoriya said.

"What do you know?"

The feeling inside Shouto's heart was quickly starting to grow. If he didn't stop it now then he was afraid that it would spiral into something even more ugly.

He wouldn't be like his father. He _wouldn't_ be like his father.

"Ahem," Shouto cleared his throat loud enough for them to hear, and Midoriya looked up and smiled at him.

"Oh, Todoroki!" Midoriya greeted, pulling himself from Bakugou's grip. "What did forensics say? Did they find a match in the system?"

Shouto frowned at the painful reminder. "They haven't gotten to it, yet."

Midoriya's smile vanished. "What?"

"Tch. Assholes are probably slackin' off," Bakugou growled. Then, he peered at Shouto and his lip twitched slightly. "Or maybe it's 'cause they saw _your_ name on it."

Shouto frowned at him. Perhaps he should look into changing his family name into something else. Tanaka seemed fitting. And he wouldn't have to change his initials, either.

"Kacchan," Midoriya admonished with a wince on his face. He sighed and turned back to Shouto. "Did they say why?"

Shouto shrugged one shoulder. "There are other samples ahead of us."

"But… ours is pretty urgent."

"That's what I told them, but they didn't see it that way."

Midoriya sighed and groaned, running his good hand down his face. Then he looked up at Shouto with a dopey, tired smile.

"Well, I've still got my notes we can go over. And we can do some research at hospitals to see if they've stitched up anyone suspicious lately," Midoriya said. "Want to go back to my place for the evening? I have to make dinner anyways."

"Hah?! You're inviting him for dinner?!" Bakugou shouted.

"Okay," Shouto found himself saying.

"What?!"

"Cool!" Midoriya said, ignoring Bakugou's protests. "Then let me get my stuff and we can go interview—"

"You two are not supposed to be working."

Midoriya's mouth snapped shut at the sound of Lieutenant Aizawa's voice looming from behind. Both he and Shouto turned to face him, standing tall and giving him attention.

Their boss was blinking at them disinterestedly, a coffee in one hand.

"We're just… getting some paperwork," Midoriya squeaked.

"That's _work,"_ Aizawa emphasized.

"I got cleared to work last week," Shouto said.

"Maybe by your doctors, but not by me," Aizawa said. "Think of this as punishment for running into a burning building while ignoring safety personnel."

Shouto and Midoriya winced, both avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Just go home and rest, for crying out loud. Don't you two know how to have fun?" Aizawa asked.

Shouto and Midoriya hesitated and then glanced at each other silently. Aizawa groaned softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why do I always get the troublesome bunch?" he whispered under his breath. He dropped his hand to his side and nodded towards the door. "Get what you need and leave. And don't come back for another week. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," both Shouto and Midoriya answered.

"Good. Now get out of my sight."

The two of them were practically kicked out onto the street, Midoriya holding on to his notebooks and files under one arm. He sighed and shook his head as they started down to the bus stop again.

"Well, there goes that," Midoriya said. "I guess… we're banned from doing any work on this, huh?"

"Lieutenant Aizawa did say this was punishment for our actions," Shouto added, rubbing the back of his head.

Midoriya smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Well… If you want, we can go back to my place for a bit. A-And you can stay for dinner! I haven't taken back that offer!"

Shouto paused, looking down at Midoriya, noting that his cheeks reddened at the offer. He smiled in response and nodded.

"Sure," Shouto said. "Let's go."

* * *

Shouto wasn't sure how he could have forgotten about the loft, but memories of that party came flooding back as soon as he entered through the door. He remembered talking with Kirishima one minute, and the next thing he knew, he was naked in Midoriya's bed.

How mortifying.

Why did he agree to come back here?

"Ah, well, make yourself at home! You've been here before, so you know where everything is," Midoriya said, scratching his cheek.

Shouto rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. "Sorry. Our first meeting wasn't the best."

"Eh? A-Ah!" Midoriya's mind suddenly caught up with him and he blushed all the way down to his collarbones. He waved his hand in the air and shook his head. "No, no! It's fine! It wasn't your fault anyway, right? I mean, it wasn't _your_ fault that you threw up on yourself and—"

"Yeah, I know," Shouto interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. He took a deep breath and let the memory slide from his mind. "I'll make us some lunch if you'd like."

Midoriya looked as if he went through emotional whiplash as his embarrassed face quickly turned into a concerned frown.

"Oh, Todoroki! You don't need to do that!" Midoriya said. "You're the guest. I can make us something."

Shouto stared down at Midoriya's cast and then back to his eyes. Midoriya followed the movement and slumped, sighing heavily.

"You're not going to let me play host, are you?" Midoriya asked.

"Not until you've healed completely," Shouto answered, moving to the pantry to look inside. Noodles… noodles… Ah, so Midoriya _did_ have soba noodles. Hm… "Is soba okay for lunch?"

"Ooh I haven't had that in a while," Midoriya said. "That sounds great, Todoroki! Thank you!"

"Mmn," Shouto hummed, grabbing the necessary ingredients. He only knew the simplest way to make them, so he hoped Midoriya would like it. He suddenly felt self-conscious about it all, his hands fidgeting as he tried to formulate a plan. He cleared his throat again and looked up at Midoriya. "So, besides hosting parties… What do you normally do on your days off?"

"Well… before we were kicked out, I happened to grab some more files on the case," Midoriya said, lifting them up to wave at Shouto.

Shouto's eyes widened, pausing in his cooking. "How did you get those?"

Midoriya smiled and walked over to their large dining room table, plopping down and resting the files on top. He smiled and leaned on his hand.

"I snagged them from Kacchan."

Shouto almost dropped all of the dried soba noodles onto the floor. He turned his head away from Midoriya and focused on the water on the stove, trying not to let his emotions show.

"He gave them to you?" Shouto asked, jaw tight.

"Yeah! Or, rather, he's letting me borrow them," Midoriya explained. "I was surprised he lent them to me, actually. It was probably out of pity."

Shouto stirred in the noodles once the water was boiling. "I'm guessing you two are close."

"Ah, we grew up together."

Shouto could've fallen through the floor right there. Of course, they were good friends. And here Shouto was, just a partner at work. Not even a friend.

"Well. I guess that was nice of him," Shouto said, and Midoriya hummed.

"I guess," Midoriya said with a shrug. "There's not much here, but we can at least try to compile everything."

Shouto took a deep breath and decided to ignore the knot in his chest. "Okay."

"Oh! And after lunch, we can watch something!" Midoriya said. "There's this new anime that just came out but I haven't been able to watch any of it because of work and hospital visits. So now that I've got free time, maybe we can watch a few episodes?"

Shouto turned around from the stove to look at Midoriya, his chest fluttering wildly. He noted the sparkles in Midoriya's green eyes, the excitement making his body buzz. He was practically a kid.

The knot in Shouto's chest loosened just a fraction.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

* * *

After eating, going over notes, and binging almost eight episodes of the anime Midoriya suggested, Shouto felt himself finally relax.

It was the first time in years that Shouto's been able to take his mind off of work, and it was all thanks to Midoriya. It was amazing how easily Shouto could let himself lean into the couch cushions, pressed up against Midoriya's side, and watch TV for nearly 5 hours.

His mother had always told him that taking a break every so often was good for the soul. Shouto couldn't really find anything he liked to do, so he just did what came naturally—work.

But, on this Thursday afternoon, Shouto found himself dozing on a couch while Midoriya cooked dinner, and he had never felt more at peace. It was something he could get used to.

After an unintentional nap, Shouto pushed himself up from Midoriya's comfy couch and made his way over to the kitchen, rubbing the scar over his left eye. Midoriya looked up from his chopping and smiled at him.

"Ah, good evening! I hope I didn't wake you," Midoriya apologized.

Shouto shook his head. "It's fine. Can I help?"

Midoriya's smile turned a bit sheepish as both he and Shouto eyed the uneven slices of carrots on the cutting board.

"Maybe cutting vegetables with one hand isn't a good idea," Midoriya said.

Shouto gestured for him to hand over the knife. "I'll do it."

Midoriya handed it over easily and turned back to the giant pot on the stove. He added some other ingredients to the already bubbling concoction.

"What are we having?" Shouto asked as he gingerly chopped up another carrot.

"Ah, a stew!" Midoriya said. "It's really easy to make and tasty over rice."

"That's a pretty western dish, isn't it?" Shouto asked.

Midoriya smiled and nodded. "My stepdad worked in America for a while, so he ended up bringing back a lot of different recipes for my mom to make."

"I see," Shouto said. He glanced around the loft and then swallowed his bitterness to prepare himself for his next question. "Do Kirishima and Bakugou like it?"

"Hm… I think so," Midoriya said. "But they put me on dinner duty tonight, so it's not their choice!"

Shouto smiled and nodded, returning to the veggies on the cutting board.

It was quiet for a moment, the only sounds of chopping and sizzling filling the room as the clock ticked noisily on the kitchen wall.

"That's odd…" Midoriya said, something strained in his voice. "Kacchan and Kirishima should've gotten off their shifts an hour ago."

Shouto peered up at the clock, seeing that it was close to seven in the evening.

His first thought was a little relief. He would get to spend more time with Midoriya without Bakugou interrupting with his loud mouth.

But as he looked over to Midoriya, he could see the concern on his friend's face. He swallowed down his pride and pettiness, forcing his tight jaw to move in order to give Midoriya some comfort.

"Maybe they're getting a drink?" Shouto offered.

Midoriya shook his head. "Kacchan doesn't drink."

Shouto frowned, pondering it for a moment. "Then… perhaps they found something new in the case? Or they were called to an emergency?" he suggested. "Sometimes things get out of hand and other officers need backup."

Midoriya hesitated, obviously not appeased, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah. You're probably right."

Shouto's stomach suddenly squirmed as he turned back to finish the last carrot. That bitterness he had felt from earlier had soured into a deeper, cutting feeling. Something didn't feel quite right.

"Well… the rice is done," Midoriya said after a few moments. "Should we go ahead and eat?"

Shouto tried to smile and he nodded, giving Midoriya a plate. He helped Midoriya make up his plate and they sat down at the dining room table quietly.

"Let's eat!" Midoriya said, trying to be cheerful.

Shouto nodded once. "Sounds good."

They dug into their meals heartily, and Shouto melted at the taste. It was amazing and it was somewhat familiar…

_"Eat up, Shouto! I'm sure you're tired from training all day."_

Shouto swallowed down the food past the lump his throat, his eyes tearing up a bit. How long had it been since he tasted his mother's cooking?

"Todoroki? You okay?" Midoriya asked, pulling Shouto back to reality.

He looked at his partner across the table, seeing the concern in his eyes, and he nodded at him. "Yeah. I'm fine."

They ate in relative silence, chatting amicably about dumb things that Shouto's never had the privilege to talk about. It was always silent at his Father's dinner table, and when he spoke, everyone would be respectful and would listen to what he had to say.

But not with Midoriya. He was kind, and inviting, and… and so, so much like Shouto's mother.

"Well, we've still got an episode or two left. Wanna finish watching?" Midoriya asked once they've finished.

Shouto nodded, feeling excited about it—excited? When did he ever get excited about something?

After cleaning up the kitchen, they both plopped down on the couch, Midoriya's knee gently bonking against Shouto's, and Midoriya grabbed the remote to set up the next episode.

It was amazing what one conversation and a near-death experience does to a friendship. Shouto wanted more. He wanted to have more of this.

It was almost unsettling. Was he allowed to feel this happy?

Midoriya was about to press play when the front door to the loft burst open.

"Midoriya! Midoriya, you here?!"

Shouto and Midoriya jumped at the sound and snapped their heads to the door, seeing a frazzled-looking Kirishima walk in. He was still in his uniform, his limbs shaking and his eyes wet with tears.

"Kirishima?" Midoriya called. He hopped up from the couch and made his way to his roommate's side. "Hey, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Bakugou," Kirishima said, grabbing ahold of Midoriya's shoulders. "Please tell me he's been here."

"Kacchan?" Midoriya echoed.

By this point, Shouto had hurried over to both of them, looking between Midoriya and Kirishima.

"He hasn't been here all day," Midoriya said. He gave a brief look of concern to Shouto and then back to Kirishima. "I thought he's been with you this whole time."

"H-He _was, _but he said he had to go look into something and that we'd meet up later," Kirishima said, his chest starting to stutter from sobs wracking his body. "I haven't seen him for _hours!_ And no one can get in contact with him!"

Midoriya and Shouto both jumped, their breaths hitching. They glanced at each other with furrowed brows.

"You don't think…" Midoriya asked, his lip trembling.

Shouto shook his head, unsure of what to say. "I… Midoriya, I—"

Suddenly, Shouto's phone rang, cutting off his sentence. He shoved his hand into his pocket and yanked it out, seeing Aizawa's name flashing on the screen. He quickly answered.

"Lieutenant Aizawa?" Shouto answered.

"I know I told you not to come in for another week," Aizawa said. "But I think you and the problem child should come down to the station. Now."

"What's going on?" Shouto asked, looking over to see two sets of worried eyes staring back at him.

Aizawa sighed on the other line.

"Bakugou is missing," Aizawa said. "And we believe the fire serial killer has him.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you for your comments! Here's another chapter for you :)

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

It was dark. Very dark. No matter how much he tried to blink and open his eyes, he couldn't see.

But that was probably due to the blindfold covering his eyes.

Katsuki struggled against the tight ropes over his wrists and ankles. He would _not_ end up like Nagata. He wouldn't.

The worst part about all this mess was that he didn't get a look at his attacker. The bastard got him from behind. The coward.

"What the hell is this? Where are you, you asshole?! I'm gonna rip you apart!" Katsuki yelled at the top of his lungs.

He heard a longsuffering sigh followed by shuffling of feet.

"Geez, are you always this violent? Not very fitting for a cop."

The voice was low and smooth like butter, floating in the air like wispy fog. But it was also laced in thick sarcasm and snark, and it was riling Katsuki up more than anything.

"What'd you say, scumbag?" he yelled.

"I'm saying that maybe you weren't meant to be a cop. You could join me, you know."

The voice was closer now, and Katsuki could sense a looming presence near him. If his legs weren't tied up, then he'd use them to kick the jerk. If he could only get this blindfold off…

"Tch, fat chance of that ever happening, you idiot! I'm not a murderer like you!" Katsuki yelled. He wanted a reaction from the guy—anything that could give him clues as to who the hell he was.

"Hm, but you could be pretty good at it. It's not like you're the world's best cop, you know."

Katsuki grit his teeth. This guy seemed patient, like a tiger enjoying the hunt before the kill. It wasn't making Katsuki nervous as much as it was making him furious. He wanted a chance to fight this bastard.

"Why don't you come say that to my face, asshole?! Quit hiding in the dark!" Katsuki yelled, hoping that if the murderer would get his hands on him, then he could have a chance to counterattack in some way.

"Heh, it's not dark, moron. You have a blindfold on."

Tch. He _knew_ that, dammit!

"Well take it off! And untie me so I can beat your ass!" Katsuki shouted again. He wiggled in the restraints but they were tied so tightly that it only hurt to move.

"Yikes, what a filthy mouth. Do your parents know you talk like this? They must be pretty shitty if you do."

Katsuki was _fuming_.

"Don't talk to me about shitty parents! It sounds like to me that yours are the worst of all!" he shouted, moving more against the ropes and feeling them dig into his skin.

He heard a huff of laughter and then more footsteps, traveling away this time.

"Ha… you have no idea, kid. You really have no idea."

* * *

Shouto could feel his limbs quivering underneath of him as he led a nervous Midoriya and a shaken Kirishima off of the bus.

Midoriya had tried to tell Kirishima to stay at home, but the poor man was desperate, begging that he not be left alone. Shouto wasn't sure if it was out of determination to find Bakugou or out of fear for being next. Whichever the case, Midoriya reluctantly agreed to let him come along to the police station.

Upon arrival, the three quickly went inside and entered into complete chaos. Officers were scrambling about, phones were ringing like crazy, and paperwork had piled up on everyone's desks.

It was a madhouse.

"Deku!"

"Midoriya!"

Shouto saw the same two officers from the diner a few weeks ago scramble over to Midoriya's side, their eyes full of worry.

"Uraraka! Iida!" Midoriya said, taking a few steps to meet them. "What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at your precinct?"

"Our station was called as soon as Officer Bakugou was reported missing," Iida said.

"We came over as quickly as we could," Uraraka said. "The guy is even your roommate, right?"

Midoriya nodded sadly. "We grew up together."

Shouto winced, feeling his stomach flip. It was as if his conscious had just imploded.

It wasn't like he wanted Bakugou gone. Sure, he felt annoyance towards him and how he was always hanging around Midoriya, but… he would never wish this fate on him. On anyone, for that matter.

So, if that were the case… then why did he feel guilty?

"Oh, Deku. It's gonna be okay," Uraraka said, grabbing his free hand. The action made Shouto's eye twitch.

"Thanks, Uraraka. You too, Iida. Thank you both," Midoriya said with a small smile. The two smiled back at him and nodded, giving strained smiles.

"Todoroki. Midoriya."

At the sound of their names, they turned to see Aizawa walking towards them, the bags under his eyes heavier than usual.

"Lieutenant," Shouto said.

"What's going on?" Midoriya asked, the urgency in his voice.

Aizawa gestured for them to follow him to his office, and the three of them quickly scrambled inside. Once Aizawa shut the door, the noise from the precinct immediately muffled, giving them a moment to breathe.

"I know I told you both not to work, but you two are the best we have right now," Aizawa said. "I had Bakugou working on the case heavily during your absence, but now that he's missing, I'm hoping you guys can come up with a few ideas."

Midoriya's face scrunched up as he appeared to ponder over it, his brain seemingly moving a mile a minute. He began mumbling to himself in a panicked nature, his free hand fidgeting. He was close to spiraling, Shouto could feel it.

So, Shouto moved to press against his side, jarring him from his dazed state. He looked up at Shouto, his face tired and worn, and he gave a small, appreciative smile.

"We should find out what he was doing right before he went missing," Midoriya said. He looked to Aizawa next. "Where was Kacchan last patrolling?"

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck. "He said something about checking out the old warehouses where Nagata was found."

Shouto and Midoriya exchanged looks. "Then we'll start there," Shouto said, and Midoriya nodded in response.

"You're not going anywhere," Aizawa said to Midoriya.

Midoriya startled. "What?"

"I need your strategy and knowledge of the case, but I don't want you on the field. You're not fully healed, yet," Aizawa said.

Midoriya suddenly looked stricken, fear and urgency in his eyes.

"But, Sir—"

"No excuses," Aizawa said. "You can stay here and be on radio."

Midoriya's face fell, looking hopeless all of a sudden. "But... this is dangerous. I don't think Todoroki should go alone."

Shouto widened his eyes at the sentiment. He knew it was not the time or place, but he felt something in his chest swell at those words.

"He's not going alone," Aizawa said. "I've got Iida and Yaoyorozu from the neighboring station to go with him to inspect the site."

"Ah! I'll go, too!" Kirishima said, lifting up his hand. When Aizawa lowered his brows threateningly, Kirishima scrambled to explain. "I know what path he took to get there. I can lead everyone there and look for clues."

Aizawa hesitated for another moment and then sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't make me regret this," Aizawa said, staring at Kirishima with sharp eyes.

Kirishima nodded. "I won't, Sir!"

"Good. Now, grab Iida and Yaoyorozu and go," Aizawa said to both him and Shouto. "Midoriya, you can go find the audio room and listen in. You're all dismissed."

Midoriya's brows lowered in frustration, but he didn't argue, and he quietly followed behind Shouto out of the room. Kirishima was quick to leave the room, telling Shouto he would find Iida and Yaoyorozu and meet up with him later. When he was gone, the air thickened, making it feel as if it weighed a million pounds.

Shouto swallowed, trying to come up with the right words to tell Midoriya, but they didn't come. He was so bad at this—this comforting thing, this _friendship_ thing. Why did he ever think this could work? He could hear his father's voice ringing in his ears, telling him, _"Friends? You don't need friends. They will only be a distraction."_

And because of this, Shouto never learned how to be a good friend.

He took a deep breath and tried to rub the nerves away on the back of his neck. He swallowed thickly and turned to face Midoriya, trying to come up with something to say quickly.

"Midoriya, I—"

Before he could speak, Midoriya grabbed ahold of Shouto's wrist and dragged him from the room and down the hall.

"A-Ah, Midoriya!" Shouto called.

But Midoriya said nothing. He just pulled them into a conference room and shut the door behind them.

"Midoriya," Shouto panted, gently pulling his wrist from his grasp. "What're you—"

"I'm going to help you find Kacchan," Midoriya said. "But I need you to help me get this cast off first."

Shouto blinked at him, jaw agape, and watched as Midoriya locked the door and scrambled around the room, looking for something in the cabinets within the room.

"W-Wait… What?" Shouto said dumbly.

"You can't make me change my mind," Midoriya said, snatching up a first aid kit from a cabinet. He plopped it on the conference table and nodded towards his cast. "I'm coming with you and that's final."

Shouto hesitated, swallowing hard. "But… Lieutenant Aizawa said that you have to stay behind."

Midoriya winced and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I know," he said. He took a moment and then glanced up at Shouto. "But I can't just let you all go into this without me being there by your sides. It doesn't sit well with me."

Shouto shook his head. "But Midoriya, Lieutenant Aizawa might fire you."

"I know. But I'll do what it takes to keep you all safe, and staying here isn't going to do you any good," Midoriya said. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were captured, too."

"Midoriya…" Shouto said softly.

"I won't stand by and let that happen," Midoriya said, and he turned back to the first aid kit and flipped it open, grabbing some scissors and handing them out to Shouto. "Now are you going to help me, or not?"

Shouto stared at the pair of scissors being handed to him, not wanting to take them at all. He knew deep down he should report him to Aizawa for misconduct and disobedience, but… those green eyes were cutting into his soul.

Shouto reached out and took the scissors with a sigh. "Fine. But you're not going to be the first to enter in any building. And I'm calling the shots if we encounter the killer. You got that?"

Midoriya nodded immediately, the sadness in his face quickly being replaced by determination and fierceness.

Once they had come to some sort of middle ground, Shouto focused and got right to work, cutting into Midoriya's cast and removing it from his hand. The scars were gnarly—wrapping around his wrist and his now-crooked fingers. It wasn't a pretty sight, and Shouto winced when Midoriya squeezed his hand.

"It's mostly healed," Midoriya said. "But I'll need some medical tape and bandages to rewrap them so they stay stable."

Shouto nodded and reached for the tape and bandages in the kit. "I'll do that."

Midoriya held out his crooked hand for Shouto to take, and Shouto gingerly wrapped each digit in a tight bandage to keep them protected from outside damage. He then continued the wrapping down to Midoriya's wrist, and Shouto could feel his pulse against his fingertips. It was fast but steady.

"This isn't a good idea," Shouto said.

"I know," Midoriya responded. "But I have to do this."

Shouto took in a slow breath through his nose and then looked Midoriya in the eye.

"I know."

Midoriya's eyes shined and he nodded, allowing Shouto to finish up the bandages. When he was done, he flexed his fingers and hummed.

"Thank you, Todoroki," Midoriya said.

"Yeah," Shouto said as he put the bandages back in the kit. "So… what's the plan?"

Midoriya turned to him, his bandaged hand curling into a fist.

"Let's find the others," Midoriya said. "Our first stop is the warehouses."

* * *

It was a while before Katsuki could hear the sound of a door creaking open, followed by soft, lazy footsteps that dragged along the ground.

"Ugh, finally! Did you have to take a massive shit or something?!" he shouted. "If you're gonna leave me in here for hours, then at least give me something to listen to! Why the hell are you waiting to kill me anyway, hah?!"

He heard a huff of laughter and then the sound of metal dragging on the ground. It stopped right in front of him, and the footsteps stopped as well.

"Maybe I like the entertainment," the guy said. "You're the first to make things so interesting. You haven't begged for your life or asked for anyone to come save you."

"Tch, as if!" Katsuki spat. "I'm not desperate. And I don't need rescuing!"

"Oh, yeah? No friends back at the station?" the guy asked.

Katsuki could hear something like a match striking, and his body tensed. He took a deep breath, remembering that he hadn't been doused in gasoline yet. So perhaps the killer was just messing with him.

"Just a few idiots I know. I'm sure a lot of them are looking for me," Katsuki said.

Suddenly, a spark of red and white flashed into his brain, and two different colored eyes were staring back at him with disdain. Katsuki huffed, remembering that not everyone at the station was probably looking for him. There were some who were probably dragging their feet.

The bastard.

"Except that Half-'n Half bastard," Katsuki said without thinking. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

There was a sizzling sound, and the faint smell of smoke filled Katsuki's nose. He heard nothing for a moment, and then there was a soft shifting, the click of shoes on the floor.

"Half'n Half…" the guy muttered. "What does that mean?"

Katsuki bit his lip. He hated the guy but he wasn't sure if he should sell him out, tell him his name. Curse his tongue for always blabbing out everything on his mind.

"Just some idiot I work with," Katsuki said.

"Right, I get that. But what does the "half'n half" part mean?"

Katsuki swallowed. "Nothing, man! Just that his hair is two different colors! Like a freakin' hair salon threw up on him, or something."

"Two different hair colors…"

There was another strike of a match, and Katsuki startled when he felt something hot hover in front of his nose.

"H-Hey! Get that away from me, you bastard!" Katsuki yelled.

"The guy's hair. Is it red and white?"

Katsuki's breath hitched.

"What?" Katsuki asked dumbly.

The killer scoffed and suddenly, the heat got closer to Katsuki's face and he held his breath, staying as still as possible.

"The Half'n Half bastard with two different hair colors. Is it red and white? Parted down the middle?"

What the hell? Did he know Todoroki already? What in the world was going on?

"I'll take your silence as a yes, so you can stop pretending you don't know him."

The heat from his nose disappeared, and Katuski let out a breath in relief. The shuffling in front of him returned, and it sounded as if the killer was standing to his feet. There was another amused huff of air, the sound of clothes ruffling.

"His name's Todoroki Shouto, isn't it?"

Katsuki's jaw dropped open. "H-How—"

"Doesn't matter," the man interrupted, and man, he sounded so _smug_. Katsuki wanted to rip his teeth out. "Thanks for the info, kid."

Katsuki heard footsteps start to walk away from him, back to that door to leave him for who knew how long.

"What the hell?! Where do you think you're going?!" Katsuki yelled. "Aren't you going to finish me off?!"

A door opened and the man chuckled.

"Nah. I think I'll keep you alive for this one."

There was a clink, and the door shut again, leaving Katsuki in total silence.

* * *

The five officers were traveling together by van, Iida at the wheel. Yaoyorozu was in the passenger seat, trying to get every little detail from Kirishima about Bakugou's last known whereabouts.

Shouto and Midoriya sat in the back next to Kirishima, squished up against each other. Shouto had tried giving Midoriya as much space as possible, but the man was pressing into his side as Kirishima leaned forward to guide Iida's driving.

Shouto sighed as they hit another bump in the road, making Midoriya rock into his side once again. Midoriya hissed and tucked his bandaged hand to his chest, holding it gently.

"Oh, sorry," Shouto said softly while the other three spoke.

Midoriya shook his head and gave Shouto a tight-lipped smile. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much," he said.

Shouto frowned and stared down at his partner's hand, watching as it shook lightly against Midoriya's chest. He reached over and gently wrapped his fingers around the damaged wrist, startling Midoriya a bit. His wide green eyes were focused on Shouto's movements as he lifted Midoriya's hand and pressed it at an angle against his chest.

"Keeping it elevated will reduce the swelling," Shouto said. "It might help reduce the pain some, too."

Midoriya watched him like a hawk as he took his hand back and rested it on his lap. He nodded and held onto his hand.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Shouto hesitated, peering at him from the corner of his eye. "This is reckless, you know."

Midoriya frowned and looked down at his lap. "I'm… aware," he said. "But Kacchan would do the same for me."

There it was again. That painful feeling inside Shouto's chest.

He looked away, peering out the window of the van.

"I guess you two are… pretty close," he said.

"Ah, well… we didn't use to be."

Now _that_ got Shouto's attention.

He turned his head to look back at Midoriya who was now wearing a mournful smile.

"Kacchan actually hated me for the longest time," Midoriya started. "We didn't start being friends until after we graduated from the police academy."

Shouto blinked at him curiously. They had grown up together but they were never friends? How could that be?

"I think we were jealous of each other somehow, and I just got on his nerves," Midoriya said. "But once we both figured out that what we wanted in life was for the greater good, then we put aside our differences and could genuinely be good friends."

Shouto raised a suspicious brow. "Greater good? Is that what all that talk about 'being the best' is about?"

Midoriya chuckled. "Well, we all want to be the best in our field, right?" he said. "But we're not police officers for the glory, right?"

Shouto frowned, turning his head away. Something ugly inside of him was rearing up again.

"Right," he agreed.

Midoriya paused, his smile falling. "Todoroki? What's—"

"Hey, we're here!" Kirishima said to the two of them.

Shouto breathed, deciding to push his personal feelings aside for now and focus on the task at hand. He turned to Midoriya and nodded.

"Let's find Bakugou before he decides to murder the killer himself," Shouto said.

Midoriya huffed out a breath and nodded, curling his hands into fists. "Right."

The car came to a stop and the five of them hopped out, staring at the array of warehouses in the area. Shouto didn't realize that there were so many. He had been so focused on the one building where Nagata was found that he didn't think of the others.

"Alright. Perhaps we should split into teams and fan out?" Iida asked.

Midoriya nodded. "That seems like a good plan. Todoroki and I will go east if you three want to go west."

"Huh? Don't you think you should have one more person go with you?" Kirishima asked.

"It does seem a little dangerous," Yaoyorozu said, eyeing Midoriya's hand.

Midoriya was about to protest when Shouto put his hand in front of him to block him.

"I'll protect us both," Shouto assured. He grabbed the gun on his hip and pulled it out, cocking it back to put a bullet in the chamber. "We can handle it."

Midoriya gave him a small smile of appreciation, and Shouto nodded to him in response.

Iida adjusted the glasses on his face and gave a firm nod. "Very well. But keep your radios on," he said, also pulling out his gun. "Report anything suspicious. And call for backup immediately if there is danger."

"We will," Shouto promised.

Yaoyorozu, Iida, and Kirishima went off in one direction as Midoriya and Shouto stayed behind, looking towards the east row of buildings. They exchanged looks and got their weapons ready.

"Okay," Midoriya said, determined. "Let's find Kacchan."

* * *

The door to the room creaked open again and footsteps were approaching him rapidly.

"Rise and shine, Buttercup," the killer sneered. "It's showtime."

Katsuki flinched as the man yanked on his hair and pulled his head to the side.

"What the hell?!" Katsuki shouted. "Let go of me, you ass!"

"Sorry, kid. But I've already put my plans into action."

He pulled back on Katsuki's head again, and then something pricked on his neck, making him wince and let out a hiss of pain.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Katsuki yelled. "Let me out of here!"

"Heh. As you wish, your majesty."

Suddenly, Katsuki felt his head spin, and his body felt heavy. He felt his binds being cut but he was too weak to fight back.

"Ugh… You basssard," Katsuki slurred. Dammit, he sounded like a drunk person! "Whaddya do… to me?"

"Oh, no worries," the man said as he picked him up from under his shoulders. "It won't last too long."

Katsuki's head lolled to the side as he was dragged towards the door, stumbling on his feet as he went. The building smelled funny– kind of like gunpowder or something like it. Ugh, but whatever it was, it was making him nauseous.

"Whoa now, hotshot. Don't pass out on me, yet."

"Ge' your hands off o' me," Katsuki grumbled, feeling incredibly lightheaded.

"Ha, don't worry about that!" he responded, shoving him outside. He stumbled forward and fell flat on his stomach, knocking the wind right out of him. "I'm out of your hair now, buddy."

Katsuki reached up to his face for his blindfold, tugging it off. The world around him was dark and muddled, and the dizziness made the ground beneath him swirl nauseatingly.

He let out a soft whine as he pushed himself to his feet, struggling to even stay up. He glanced around him for the killer, wanting nothing more than to tear him a new one. But when he gazed about his surroundings, he noticed that he was too late.

The killer was long gone.

* * *

Shouto and Midoriya seemed to search for what felt like hours as they quickly made their way down the warehouses, treading lightly as they walked so they wouldn't make a sound. They even turned down their radios so they wouldn't make as much noise.

They would stop at different warehouses and check the doors and garages to see if any were unlocked, and if they were, they were dark and empty.

"It's going to be difficult to find him in all this," Shouto said.

Midoriya sighed in frustration. "We've got to keep looking."

Shouto blinked at him, barely able to see Midoriya's impatient expression on his face.

"We're not going to give up, Midoriya," Shouto said. "We'll find him."

Midoriya's face tightened and he nodded sadly, and Shouto knew he hadn't done well enough to convince him. He wished he had the words to comfort him.

What would his mother say to him during times like these?

Shouto shivered at the memory, not wanting to delve into that emotional baggage.

Instead, he turned his head to peer down a corner, squinting in the dark. He really should've brought flashlights.

"I'm sorry," Midoriya suddenly apologized, his voice sad.

Shouto glanced back at him, and he could see Midoriya's cheeks reflected by the moonlight above. They were wet with tears.

"Midoriya," Shouto called, moving back towards him. His hand reached out on its own to touch his shoulder, but Midoriya moved to the side and leaned into Shouto's chest instead. Shouto thought he was going to explode. "M-Midoriya—"

"I know I'm being crazy. And I know it was selfish of me to tag along. I mean… You could get in so much trouble, too." Midoriya began to ramble. Shouto assumed it was the panic starting to take over. "I just want everyone safe, and I want this guy behind bars and to pay for what he's done. It's not right! We're the good guys! Why is someone attacking us? What did we ever do to—"

"Midoriya," Shouto interrupted, grabbing his shoulder with his free hand. He quickly put his gun back into his holster on his side and then held onto Midoriya's other shoulder. "Calm down. You're letting it get to you. That's exactly what this guy wants."

Midoriya was trembling under his palms. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Shouto said, squeezing his shoulders. He gently pushed Midoriya back and glanced down at his wet eyes, making sure they made contact. "We'll find Bakugou in one piece. But we can't do that if we just stand here, right?"

Midoriya sniffled pathetically, and Shouto felt his heart squeeze. How in the world did this guy become a cop with how much he cries?

"Okay. We should do that," Midoriya said.

Shouto nodded and let go of Midoriya's shoulders, allowing him the space to wipe his face and nose.

"There are a few more warehouses this way," Shouto said, pointing down to a row of buildings. "Why don't we check out those, next?"

Midoriya finished wiping his face and he looked up at Shouto. "Yeah, that sounds—" Suddenly, his eyes went wide. "Todoroki, behind you!"

Shouto felt a presence lurking behind him, and a hand latched onto his elbow.

He whipped around, his fists ready to strike, but he froze when he was met with spiky blond hair.

"B-Bakugou?" Shouto stuttered.

Bakugou stumbled into him, his eyes looking up at him blearily.

"You… idiots…" he mumbled, sliding down to his knees. "…the hell're you doin' here, hah?"

"Kacchan!" Midoriya shouted, rushing over to his side.

He grabbed onto Bakugou's limp body and guided him to the ground. His good hand pressed over his torso in search of any wounds.

"Kacchan, are you hurt? What happened?" Midoriya asked.

Bakugou looked as if he could barely keep his eyes open. But he lolled his head to the side to stare up at Shouto, his face stricken. He opened his mouth to speak but then his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya yelled as Bakugou slipped out of consciousness.

Shouto knelt down and felt along Bakugou's pulse on his neck. He breathed out in relief when he found it beating steadily.

"He's fine, but it looks like he was drugged," Shouto said.

"Drugged?" Midoriya asked. "Did the killer let him go?"

Shouto shrugged. "Either that, or he escaped." He stood to his feet. "Which means, the killer could still be here."

Midoriya inhaled sharply and glanced around nervously, his hand reaching for the gun on his side. Shouto did the same, watching the area closely.

"Maybe we should call the others and get Kacchan out of here," Midoriya said.

Shouto nodded, keeping his hand to his side. "Yeah, sounds like a plan," he responded. "And I'll radio Aizawa and—"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently as an explosion rocked into the air.

Shouto whirled around and saw a large fireball floating into the sky. It was coming from one of the warehouses on the end.

His chest tightened. The killer. It had to be him.

"Call the others and go back to the van," Shouto told Midoriya, and then he took off down the walkway.

"What?! Wait! Todoroki!"

Midoriya's voice called after him but he sprinted towards the fiery mess anyway, going as fast as his legs could take him.

When he reached the warehouse, he was amazed to see that the flames had diminished, and a large part of the warehouse was left intact.

It was as if… the explosion was controlled.

Shouto entered inside and drew his gun, pointing it around every corner.

"Come out!" Shouto yelled. "Don't make me shoot!"

There was an eerie chuckle, and he spun towards the one wall left standing.

His breath hitched, and his chest sunk as fear gripped him.

On the wall were words written in blood:

**How sad, Shouto Todoroki.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

The thing about nightmares is that when that person wakes up, it's over.

**How sad, Shouto Todoroki**.

It fades and doesn't come back. They can forget about the nightmare and roll back over and go to sleep. And then they can get a full night's rest.

**How… sad.**

But this?

This was no nightmare.

**Todoroki…**

Because if it was a nightmare…

**Shouto.**

Why isn't Shouto waking up?

Smoke was still filling the sky from the remnants of the fire on the collapsed warehouse. It was a horrific sight, especially since Shouto could see his name smeared on the wall. In blood.

He shuddered, his feet unable to move from that spot. It was almost enough to make him vomit but he swallowed it down, trying to stand strong. But he was quickly getting lightheaded, the scene before him trapping him in a daze and dark thoughts starting to take over.

How did this killer know who he was? And why did he write his name here? It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. Unless…

Unless Shouto was the next target.

Was… Was all of this just an elaborate plan? Kidnapping Bakugou, leading bread crumbs… Was it all to trap him here so the killer could leave him this disturbing message?

What the hell did he_ want?!_

"Todoroki!"

Shouto distantly heard footsteps rushing towards him, and soon enough, they skidded to a halt, the voice panting by his side. It was Midoriya. He recognized his voice from afar. But he didn't turn to look at him.

His eyes were focused on the still-streaming blood on the wall.

"Todoroki, we have to go!" Midoriya said, and Shouto felt a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch. "Kacchan needs to get to a hospital! And we… we…"

Suddenly, his voice trailed off.

Shouto swallowed and slowly turned his head to look at his partner.

But Midoriya wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the blood on the wall. His face was pale, even in the orange glow from the flames, and his eyes were wide with fear.

"T-Todoroki…" Midoriya's voice trembled. His hand squeezed Shouto's shoulder. "What… What is this?"

Shouto's hands curled into fists by his sides, a strangled grunt crawling up his throat. It was suddenly too difficult to talk, his body paralyzed with shock and panic. What in the world was happening to him?

"Todoroki, let's get out of here," Midoriya said, tugging on his shoulder.

Shouto flinched again and whipped his head down to look at Midoriya. His green eyes changed from his fear-stricken state to one of desperation, as if he was begging Shouto to move.

"C'mon," Midoriya urged. "We need to get out of here."

Right. They had to leave.

But go where?

He felt himself being tugged away from the building, his mind still caught in a daze. The last remaining wall with the blood-spattered message crumbled to the ground, and Shouto turned his head to face forward, his stomach rolling with nausea. His vision started to blur, and his chest tightened painfully.

**How sad.**

"Todoroki?"

He snapped his head up to see Midoriya looking at him in concern as he was dragging him away. He just realized how tightly Midoriya was holding onto his wrist. It was borderline painful.

"Are you okay?" Midoriya asked, slowing them to a stop. "Hey, you're hyperventilating."

Ah, so that was why it was hard to breathe. Was that the reason for the dizziness, too?

"Breathe, Todoroki. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth," Midoriya said. He gently tugged on his wrist. "Sorry. We'll go slower, okay?"

Shouto nodded in response and let Midoriya tug him along the warehouses. He did as Midoriya instructed, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth.

In a time like this, he would normally be embarrassed. Whenever the occasional panic attack would spring up, he would try to get to a place where he was completely alone. But with Midoriya pulling him along like this, he couldn't get out of it.

However, Midoriya was walking slowly, making sure Shouto had plenty of time to recover before they met back up with the others. It was kindness that Shouto had never been shown before.

Before he even realized it, his chest had loosened, and his breaths were coming in evenly. The pain was manageable now, and his vision had cleared some. He still stumbled as he walked, still struggled to breathe. It had been a while since he'd panicked like this before. And the first time ever in front of someone else.

"Ah, Midoriya! Todoroki!"

Shouto glanced up from his hunched position and finally noticed the flashing lights in the distance. There was one ambulance and two fire trucks parked, and down the street, Shouto could see blue flashing lights.

Crap. More officers.

"Iida!" Midoriya called, keeping his hand on Shouto's wrist. Iida came to a stop in front of them, staring at them both with concern in his eyes. "Where's Kacchan?"

"Ah, the first ambulance took him to the hospital already, but the paramedics said he would be fine," Iida explained, and Shouto saw Midoriya's shoulders fall slightly. "But are you two all right? Todoroki, you look a bit… pale."

Midoriya glanced back at him, his eyes sharp as they studied over Shouto's hunched form. Then, he turned back to Iida, his hand squeezing Shouto's wrist.

"He checked out the explosion. I think he might've breathed in some of the smoke," Midoriya said. He briefly glanced back at Shouto, his eyes fond, and Shouto felt his chest warm in gratitude.

"Oh, my! Smoke inhalation can be very dangerous!" Iida said as he adjusted his glasses. "Quickly! Let's take him to the paramedics."

"Right. Good idea, Iida," Midoriya said. He glanced back at Shouto again. "You ready?"

Shouto nodded and allowed Midoriya to gently tug him towards the ambulance. The paramedics immediately checked him out, wiping off soot and dirt from his hair and checking his vitals. Then, they gave him an oxygen mask, asking him to hold it to his face. With the mask, he could definitely breathe easier, but that didn't quite calm the dread that sat on his chest like a brick.

"Feeling better?"

Midoriya hopped up next to him, his green eyes peering up next to him in concern. His shoulder pressed up against his, making his whole right side feel warm and tingly.

Shouto's chest shuddered at the touch, but instead of shifting away, he leaned into it.

"Y-Yeah," Shouto said softly. "Better."

Midoriya glanced around, watching as more police cars pulled up to the scene, his brows pinched. He was chewing on his lip and fidgeting with his hands, and Shouto wanted to reach out and grab one. He felt his cheeks flush.

"Todoroki…" Midoriya started, his voice low so that only Shouto could hear. "What… What was with that message?"

Shouto tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, his breaths coming in harsh pants. He gazed down into his lap, still holding the mask to his face.

"I… I don't know," Shouto said, his breaths fogging up the clear mask.

Midoriya's body tensed, his face falling. "Do you… Do you think the killer knows each one of us?"

Shouto paused, flipping the words over in his mind. It was a terrifying thought, but…

A shudder ripped through him at the thought and he hunched over onto his knees, his breaths still picking up.

"It… would make sense," Shouto said, his voice trembling slightly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had information on all of us."

Midoriya's lips wobbled. "I was afraid you would say that."

Shouto eyed him carefully, trying to keep his breaths even enough. He wanted to offer some words of encouragement, but he couldn't quite speak around the lump in his throat.

All he could see in his mind were those red letters.

"Well, you've really made a mess of things."

Shouto and Midoriya jumped and straightened their backs.

Aizawa was walking towards them with a scowl on his face and his hands in his pockets. He stopped at the edge of the ambulance and stared down at them like they were children. He said nothing. He only sent an icy look towards Midoriya.

"Um…" Midoriya started, "Lieutenant, I—"

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't fire you right now," Aizawa interrupted.

Midoriya shrank back and hunched in on himself, looking so small that it made Shouto's heart squeeze.

"You directly went behind my back and disobeyed an order. How can I trust an officer that does that?" Aizawa asked.

Shouto removed the mask from his face, his chest warming in defensive anger.

"He wanted to help find Bakugou," Shouto said. "He had good instincts and was right there with me when we found him."

Aizawa's eyes snapped towards him, his glare biting. "It'd be best you kept that oxygen mask over your mouth. Wouldn't want you to lose consciousness or anything."

Shouto blinked at him, understanding the threat. He swallowed and placed the mask back over his mouth and nose, sending Midoriya an apologetic look.

Aizawa turned his attention back to Midoriya, his arms rising to fold across his chest.

"Your actions were foolish and selfish. Don't you realize the risk you took when you decided things on your own?" Aizawa asked.

Midoriya winced, his one good hand curling into a fist while the other shook on his thigh.

Shouto wanted to scream and yell, tell Aizawa that they were cops! What else were they supposed to do? Sit around and let Bakugou possibly die?!

"I'm sorry," Midoriya apologized.

"And not only that, but you put yourself at risk. I had you resting for a _reason._ What do you think could have happened if you had made your injury worse?" Aizawa asked. "You need to think about your actions and what kind of consequences will result from them."

Midoriya nodded sadly, his eyes dropping to his lap as he bowed his head in shame.

"Yes, sir," Midoriya said softly.

Aizawa hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath in, and then nodded.

"Good. Now then, we should get to the task at hand. Great work on finding Bakugou," Aizawa said, nodding to both of them.

Midoriya popped his head back up. "You're… You're not firing me?"

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "No. I _should_, but I guess you're not the only foolish one around here."

Midoriya's lips wobbled and tears immediately sprung to his eyes. He bowed his head again towards Aizawa, deeper this time.

"Thank you very much!" Midoriya said loudly. "I won't let you down again, sir!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, just tone down the volume, would you? You're giving me a headache," Aizawa said. Midoriya lifted his head and wiped his nose. "Now then, how about you tell me why two of my officers have to receive medical attention?" Aizawa said, his eyes sliding over to Shouto who still had the oxygen mask over his face.

Shouto sat stiffly, those red words still ingrained into his mind. He didn't want to say anything about it, but Aizawa was watching him with anticipation in his eyes, and Shouto knew he couldn't stay silent for much longer. He slowly took the mask from his nose and mouth.

"Um… There's…" Shouto stammered—actually _stammered._ He had never been this shaken before, what in the world was wrong with him?

"Lieutenant," Midoriya called, snapping Shouto from his downward spiral. "I think we should call forensics to check out that warehouse. There was… a lot of blood."

Aizawa straightened his back. "Blood? Were there any bodies?"

Midoriya shook his head sadly. "No. It was smeared on one of the walls."

Aizawa blinked at him in shock, his entire body seeming to tighten in alarm. He focused his attention on Midoriya completely, his gaze piercing.

"Smeared on a _wall?"_ Aizawa echoed. "What in the hell does that mean?"

Midoriya turned his head to look at Shouto, giving him a questioning look that seemed to ask for permission. Shouto winced and put the mask back over his face, trying to breathe slowly. He gave a curt nod and stared into his lap, and Midoriya took that as his cue.

"The blood created a message," Midoriya said with a sigh. "And… the message had Todoroki's name."

Aizawa's eyes widened and he snapped his head over to Shouto, who hunched in on himself at the stare. He wasn't sure if he was about to be reprimanded or not. It wasn't like he knew why his name was on the wall, but why did it feel like he was in trouble?

"Shit," Aizawa muttered, rubbing his hands down his face. "Alright. Is the message still over there?"

Midoriya shook his head and put his good hand to his chin. "The wall collapsed because of the fire, but the blood should still be on them…"

"Okay. We'll get forensics to check it out," Aizawa said. He eyed Shouto carefully. "Did anyone else see the message besides you two?"

Shouto huffed out a breath, fogging up the clear mask around his face, and looked to Midoriya. He had no clue if anyone else was around. Hell, the killer could've been right behind him and he would've had no idea.

But Midoriya shook his head. "No, it was just us."

Aizawa nodded. "Good. Let's keep it that way. We don't need the entire police department descending into panic," he said. He turned towards the rest of the police officers as they started to spread out amongst the warehouses. "We should regroup. You guys need to go to the hospital to get checked out."

Shouto sighed, leaning forward and hanging his head, his hand still loosely clutched to the oxygen mask around his face. Hospitals. Again. He was fine, for crying out loud.

And then there was the fact that Bakugou was also at the hospital. Would Midoriya run towards him when they got there? Shouto wouldn't and shouldn't be surprised if that were to happen.

"Um, Lieutenant!" Midoriya called, springing to his feet and calling after their superior before he could round up the rest of the officers. "What about Todoroki?"

Shouto glanced up at his name and saw Midoriya's back. He suppressed a jolt from how close he was.

Aizawa, on the other hand, raised a brow. "What about him?"

Midoriya's hands tightened into fists. "Shouldn't… Shouldn't he be protected?"

Shouto looked at him curiously, watching his broad back and shoulders move as he breathed heavily. Midoriya… wanted to protect him?

"Protected?" Aizawa echoed.

"Yeah!" Midoriya said, growing more confident. "The killer knows who he is! Shouldn't he be in hiding or something?"

Shouto frowned at that—he wasn't going to be a wimp about the whole thing. "I'm not going into hiding, Midoriya."

Midoriya whipped his head back to look at him, his green eyes fierce. "What?"

Shouto took the mask from his face, finally able to catch up on his uneven breaths.

"If I go into hiding now, the killer might slip through the cracks and disappear," Shouto explained. "This could be our chance to catch him."

Midoriya's jaw dropped. "You… You don't mean to use yourself as bait, do you?"

Shouto paused for a moment and then shrugged, looking at Midoriya with a serious expression.

"It could work," Shouto said.

"Todoroki, that's dangerous!" Midoriya cried.

"Maybe."

"Todoroki!"

"All right, enough," Aizawa interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll figure out what I want to do with you later. For now, get on that ambulance and go to the hospital. _Both _of you."

"Huh? Me, too?" Midoriya asked, pointing at himself with his good hand.

Aizawa gestured towards his broken hand, and both Midoriya and Shouto looked down at it to see the bandages falling off and his bruised knuckles showing through.

"Looks like you'll need a new cast," Aizawa said as he turned to walk away.

Midoriya sighed and reached over to cover his bad hand. He turned back towards Shouto and offered a small smile.

"I guess we need to get back to the hospital then, huh?" Midoriya said, trying to lighten the conversation.

Shouto sighed, long and slow. Back to that wretched place.

"Let's get this over with."

* * *

The ride to the hospital was quiet, the gentle ride jostling the two of them back and forth. Neither one of them needed to lie down, luckily, but the paramedics were still keeping close tabs on the two of them.

When they arrived at the hospital, Shouto was immediately whisked away for tests on his lungs. He had some smoke inhalation that needed treatment, and Shouto begrudgingly accepted. He just wanted to leave and go home to sleep all of this nonsense off.

"Okay, Todoroki-san, you're free to go," the doctor said, taking the tongue depressor from his mouth.

Shouto sighed and hopped out of the bed, still in his dirty uniform. He was thankful that he at least didn't have to change into those itchy gowns.

"Thank you," Shouto said with a quick bow, and then he fled the room.

As soon as he left the room, his shoulders sagged as exhaustion fell over him. He was ready for a hot shower and sleep.

But before that, he wanted to check on Midoriya to see how he was doing.

He roamed down the hall to see if he could find a nurse to point him in the right direction, but he didn't have to travel far to hear that soft voice. He heard Midoriya speaking in a nearby room. It must've been with a nurse, right? So he could go in and check on him without being a disturbance.

Shouto was two steps away from the open doorway of the hospital room, ready to walk in and talk to Midoriya, when he heard another voice loud and clear echoing from the room.

"So you have to stay here overnight?"

"Yeah. It pisses me off!"

Shouto stopped in his tracks, his body hidden behind the wall next to the doorway.

Bakugou.

Midoriya was in there with Bakugou.

Slowly and shamefully, Shouto leaned forward to peer around the edge of the doorway, getting a closer look.

Midoriya was sitting in a chair next to Bakugou's hospital bed, the angry blonde sitting up with his arms folded across his chest like a petulant child. But Midoriya looked happy and relieved, his green eyes shining with unshed tears as he listened to Bakugou rant about being stuck in the hospital bed.

Something ugly twisted inside Shouto's chest at the sight of the two of them sitting together, and he found it unbearable to watch. With a sigh, Shouto pulled himself away and hurried down the hall towards the exit of the hospital.

He wasn't sure what these feelings were that made his stomach clench and his chest burn, but he _hated _it_._

"Ah, hey! Todoroki, wait up!"

Shouto's stride faltered when he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he turned around to see Uraraka staring at him with a worried expression on her face. She was still in her police uniform, and Shouto wondered if she came straight from the crime scene.

"Hey, I was wondering where you guys were. Are you okay?" she asked.

Shouto fidgeted. "I'm fine."

Uraraka breathed out a heavy sigh and smiled, her hand coming to her chest.

"Well, that's a relief! I'm glad to see you're in one piece!" she said. She looked up at him again, her smile fading slightly. "And what about Deku and Bakugou?"

Shouto frowned. The image of the two of them sitting in the hospital room talking together was burned into his mind.

"They're fine," was his answer, and it tasted bitter on his tongue.

Uraraka's head tilted slightly at his response. "Oh, that's good then!"

Shouto hummed, his head turning towards the exit. It was _right there._

"Should we go see them? I'm sure they're worried about you," Uraraka said.

Shouto recalled Midoriya's happy shining face. His patience was really wearing thin.

"Sorry, but I think I'm going to head back," Shouto said.

Uraraka's brows furrowed in concern. "Huh? You're leaving?"

Shouto turned away and nodded, his feet already guiding him to the doors.

"Yeah. I'll see you later, Uraraka."

Uraraka made a strangled noise from behind him, and she called out to him.

"Huh?! But, Todoroki—"

But the automatic doors shut behind him and her voice was cut off. The tension immediately dropped from Shouto's shoulders, and he breathed out slowly to try to get rid of the burning inside of his chest.

But the burn lingered, even as he walked down the sidewalk towards the train station. All he could picture in his mind was a smiling Midoriya, but that smile was directed towards someone else.

* * *

Once he realized the trains were no longer in service—just his stupid luck—he headed back to the police station. He figured he wasn't going to be able to rest at home anyway, not with the knowledge of being a target still in his mind—and not to mention the heavy feeling still weighing down on him from the sight at the hospital.

There were a few cots in the break room, and he knew Aizawa wouldn't care if he slept at the precinct. Hell, Aizawa had been caught snoozing in his office more than a few times, so Shouto knew he could get away with it.

He entered the precinct and nodded towards the front security guard, flashing him his badge, and then headed down towards their office space. There were lights on, surprisingly, and Shouto's brow furrowed in curiosity. He glanced down at his watch and sighed. It was getting close to 4 in the morning, which meant he only would get a few hours of sleep before the morning shift began.

If he could fall asleep, that is.

Shouto shoved his hands into his pockets and headed straight to the break room. There was bound to be at least one cot in there. And if not, Shouto could probably snooze on his desk. Since Bakugou wasn't going to be in, he had no worries about being harassed.

Shouto sighed. Bakugou was one of the last things he wanted to think about right now.

He passed by the numerous empty desks and headed towards the back of the office towards the break room. He could already smell coffee brewing, which was odd. Who would be here this early? Especially since everyone was out late at the crime scene?

He pushed open the door to the break room and nearly ran into someone on the other side.

"Oh, sorry," Shouto apologized, not focusing on the other person's face.

"Ah, as you should be."

Shouto glanced up and was met with dirty blonde hair and a smug smile.

Ugh. Monoma.

Shouto glared weakly at him in response, shuffling past him to search for any cots in the closet.

"I heard about your crazy stunts last night. Pretty bold for a goody-goody like you," Monoma said.

Shouto rolled his eyes, trying to ignore him. It was way too early for this.

"So what brings the ice prince here so early this morning, eh? Worried that we'll find something about the killer before you do?" Monoma pushed.

Shouto slammed the closet door shut after finding it empty, and he cut his eyes at Monoma, who was standing with his creepy, tooth-bearing smile, grinning as if he had just conquered over a country.

"What do you want, Monoma?" Shouto asked, feeling his body start to drain from exhaustion. He didn't realize how tired he had actually become from all of the night's excitement.

"Me? Nothing much," Monoma sneered. And then his smile widened in his crazy manner, his eyes condescending. "Just want to see you get put in your—_ack!_"

Once again, Kendo seemed to appear out of nowhere, her hand slapping him on the back of his head. He hunched forward and held his head, groaning pathetically.

"Will you just shut it? It's way too early for this," Kendo said, a steaming mug of coffee in her other hand. She glanced up at Shouto and gave a small smile. "Good morning, Todoroki."

Shouto took a quick breath through his nose, the annoyance in his chest melting away.

"Good morning, Kendo," Shouto greeted. "Why are you here so early?"

"I feel like I should be asking you that," she said, putting her free hand on her hip. "Weren't you just in the hospital?"

Shouto averted his eyes. Word travelled fast. Although, he knew she and Yaoyorozu were pretty good friends.

"I'm fine. Wasn't that big of a deal," Shouto said.

Kendo didn't look convinced but she shrugged it off. "If you say so. Anyway, we've been doing tests on those multiple samples we've gotten over the last few weeks. I'm running the results of your staple through the system now, so the matches should be showing up soon. Wanna come see?"

Shouto perked up at that and he nodded, making Kendo smile. She gestured towards the door with her thumb.

"C'mon, let's go check it out," she said. When Monoma straightened his back to follow, she pushed against his face and kept him in the break room. "You stay here and straighten up this room. You wrecked it in the first place. And make more coffee."

Monoma glowered but turned around to start picking up the trash that was left on the counter by the coffee maker.

Kendo smirked and led Shouto out of the break room and down towards the lab. She shut the door behind them and sat down at the computer, taking a sip of her coffee before setting the mug down next to the keyboard.

"Okay! It's done. Let's check out the results," Kendo said. She clicked on a button and watched the screen, her smile turning into a pout. "Darn. There're no matches on the criminal database."

Shouto frowned, as well. "So that means this guy's never been arrested before?"

"Exactly," Kendo said, slouching in her chair. "Which means, you could've just come across a random surgical staple. Which is a little gross, to be honest."

Shouto sighed, his hand climbing up to rub the back of his neck. Another dead end. How was he going to break the news to Midoriya about this?

He sighed. He didn't really want to think about Midoriya right now.

"Oh!" Kendo suddenly chirped, leaning forward in her seat. "It says that there are similar matches in our system."

Shouto leaned forward to stare at the screen. "Criminals?"

"No, I think just civilians," Kendo said.

She clicked a few buttons, and a few pictures popped up on the screen, making her gasp.

Shouto felt his stomach sink, his heart fluttering wildly.

"What the… this can't be right," Kendo said, her voice quivering. "Todoroki, this…"

She turned her head up to look at Shouto with a worried expression, but Shouto's eyes were stuck on the screen in front of him.

On the screen were his and his father's ID pictures along with the words:

80% DNA Match to Enji.

50% DNA Match to Shouto.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

A 50% match? _Match?_

What in the world did that mean?

Did that mean… the killer was _related_ to them?

It just didn't make any sense. How could this be?

"You know I have to tell Lieutenant Aizawa about this, right?" Kendo said.

Aizawa?

Oh, of course. Of _course,_ Aizawa would have to know about this.

But what would happen then? Would he be arrested? Questioned? Targeted?

Aizawa wouldn't suspect _Shouto_ of all of the murders…

Would he?

**How sad, Shouto Todoroki.**

"Todoroki?"

Shouto jumped when he felt an arm grasp his elbow, and he turned his head sharply to glance down at Kendo, who was wearing a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay? You've turned pale all of a sudden," Kendo asked, her hand gripping his arm.

Shouto swallowed and tugged his arm out of her grasp, nodding and trying to convince himself that he wasn't about to have a mental breakdown.

"Yeah, just… yeah," Shouto said. He ran a hand through his hair and turned towards the door to the lab. "I just… need to rest for a bit."

"Oh. Okay," Kendo said, her voice small as he stormed out of the room.

He headed straight back to the break room to find a way to relax—regardless if there was a cot available or not. His mind was a tangled mess as he took dizzying steps towards the break room, his panic beginning to take over completely.

Shouto wrenched open the door and paused—nearly tripping over himself—when he was face to face with Monoma once again, who had just finished cleaning up the last empty coffee cup. His face twitched into a wide smirk, which did nothing to stop the unraveling panic in Shouto's chest.

"Ah, you're back again. Did the blood test give you no leads?" he teased, and Shouto was _really_ considering the possible negative outcomes for punching a colleague in the face. "That's too bad. I might've actually rooted for you if you hadn't been such a—whaa, hey!"

Shouto's body moved on its own, his hand reaching out to grab Monoma by his collar. Shouto dragged him to the door of the break room and literally threw him out, the man falling to his side on the carpet.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Monoma yelled, glaring up at Shouto. "You bastard! I'll make you pay for—"

Shouto slammed the door shut and locked the door, his heart still roaring in his ears. He needed calm and quiet to push the strange thoughts from his mind. If he didn't calm down now, he was going to spiral out of control.

He turned off the lights and stomped over to the small couch that was against the far wall and fell onto it face first, burying his head in his arms.

Just sleep, he told himself. Forget all about this nonsense until later.

Don't think about your father. Don't think about your past.

Don't think about Midoriya's smile that was directed towards someone else.

Shouto tugged on his hair angrily, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety. He huffed and curled in on himself, squeezing his eyes tight and trying to get his breathing under control.

Happy thoughts, he told himself. Think happy thoughts.

He pictured his mother still smiling at him before she lost her way. He pictured his favorite café where he would get tea and listen to calming music. He pictured a vast field that was covered in green grass.

He pictured green eyes and how they perfectly reflected the light, making them shimmer and sparkle beautifully.

**How sad, Shouto Todoroki.**

Shouto took deep breaths, focusing on the pictures over and over in his mind, but the pain in his chest did not cease. He reached up and covered his ears with his hands and listened to the sounds of his beating heart.

It felt like ages until he eventually lost consciousness, his exhausted body finally giving up.

Sometime later—how long it had been, Shouto was unsure—Shouto's eyes cracked open when he heard a soft click. He thought he heard footsteps approach him but he was too tired to move.

Something touched his head. A hand? Whose was it?

Was he dreaming?

The hand moved through his hair gently, and Shouto fell right back asleep, his mind unaware of the person touching him.

* * *

_"Shouto. Hey, Shouto, wake up."_

_Shouto stirred in his sleep, his eyes bleary as he opened them to his bedroom. Someone was standing in front of him, shaking him from his slumber, but he couldn't quite make out his face. He recognized the stark white hair and low voice, though._

_"Mmm. Touya-nii?" Shouto mumbled, yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with tiny fists. _

_"Come on, sleepy head! Get up!" Touya urged. _

_It was strange. It was as if Touya's face was blurred. Shouto knew he was speaking, but he couldn't see a mouth moving._

_"Why?" Shouto asked, sitting up, still dazed from being woken up in the middle of the night. _

_Touya grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "It's snowing, Sho!" _

_Shouto's eyes briefly lingered on the bandages that covered Touya's arms, and once the words processed in his ears, he perked up, glancing up at his brother's blurry face._

_"It is?!" Shouto asked._

_Touya nodded, and Shouto could somehow tell that he was smiling._

_"Yeah, c'mon! Let's go!" Touya said, and he grabbed Shouto's hand and pulled him out of bed. _

_"Ah, Touya-nii, w-wait!" Shouto called. "What about Father?"_

_Touya scoffed as he led Shouto down the hall. "That old man is gone doing detective work, remember? He won't be back 'til morning!"_

_Shouto bit his lip, still feeling a bit unsure. And why was Touya awake at this hour anyway? Shouldn't he be exhausted from training earlier that morning? Last he saw, Touya was being patched up by Fuyumi, barely saying a word. Now, he was lively and talking a lot._

_But Shouto relented, choosing to follow his brother out to the courtyard. And as soon as they both stepped outside and Touya turned on the terrace light, Shouto felt his lips pull into a wide smile._

_"Whoa," he whispered, watching as the large snowflakes drop quietly to the ground. The cobblestone was already covered in a good layer of snow, which meant it had been snowing for quite some time. _

_"Isn't this awesome? First snow of the year," Touya said cheerfully, and Shouto could hear the smile in his voice._

_"Yeah. I hope it sticks so Mommy can see it," Shouto said, looking up at the sky with wide eyes._

_"Me, too! She loves the snow, right?" Touya asked._

_"Mmn!" _

_They stared at the snowflakes for a bit longer before Touya tugged on his hand._

_"Come on! Let's play in it!" Touya said, guiding Shouto towards the snow-covered ground._

_Shouto hesitated, his eyes locked on the back door. He worried his lip between his teeth. What if someone were to find out?_

_"Don't be nervous, Sho. I'll keep an eye on the door, okay?" Touya said softly._

_Shouto swallowed and nodded, allowing Touya to pull him out to the terrace, his head tilting back to look up at the snow. Several flakes fell onto his cheeks and he flinched at the cold, his eyes sparkling._

_"It's pretty," Shouto said, letting out his hands to catch snowflakes. _

_"You're right. You think it's enough to build a snowman?" Touya asked._

_Shouto nodded at him, and they walked over to the middle where a pile of snow had gathered. They knelt down and started pushing the snow together as best as they could, but it was difficult to mold the mushier snow together into a solid form._

_"Hm. This looks like it might be difficult. You think Fuyumi and Natsuo could help?" Touya asked._

_Shouto looked at him with wide eyes and nodded in excitement. Touya chuckled softly and patted Shouto's head as he stood to his feet._

_"Okay, I'll go get them. Stay here and guard the snowman, okay?" Touya said._

_"I will!" Shouto promised._

_Touya chuckled again and hurried back inside, sliding the door shut behind him. Shouto turned back to his snow pile, trying to roll the snow into a ball. He wanted to do his best to keep what little of the snowman they had built safe. He would do just about anything to make his brother happy. _

_He thought of the bandages on his brother's arms. He hoped that they would heal quickly. Their father had been so angry with Touya that morning. Touya had been out late the night before, goofing off as usual instead of resting for his training. When Touya snuck back in this morning, he was whisked away and immediately forced into more training. It was brutal, and Shouto could tell his father was taking out his anger on his big brother._

_Shouto brushed the thoughts aside. It would be fine. He was sure it would calm down soon. And then, Touya would grow up to be an awesome police officer one day!_

_The door slid back open, and Shouto smiled, turning towards the door._

_"I kept the snowman safe, just like you—"_

_"What are you doing here this late at night?!"_

_He stopped in his tracks and his heart dropped into his stomach. _

_Instead of his big brother standing at the door, it was his father, still in his uniform._

_"F-Father," Shouto whimpered, moving to stand to his feet. "I was… It was just—"_

_"Just what?" his father asked, moving towards him. "You should be in your room!"_

_Shouto flinched, taking a step back. "But, I was—"_

_"It seems that my lack of discipline in your life has affected you. I suppose I should start training you as well!" his father bellowed._

_His father raised his hand and slapped Shouto across the cheek, making him fall to the cold, snowy ground. Tears immediately sprung to his eyes as he held his cheek, staring up at his father in fear._

_"I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" Shouto begged. His cheek was throbbing._

_"I will make sure that you don't," his father said, his eyes bloodshot and fierce. _

_He raised his hand again, ready to strike, and Shouto shut his eyes and moved his hands up to shield his face. He cried out, begging his father to have mercy, and he braced for impact._

_But the impact never came._

_Instead, Shouto heard a sharp cry and the sickening sound of skin slapping skin. _

_Shouto glanced up from behind his arms to see Touya's back, his head turned to the side from where his father had struck him. Shouto was horrified._

_"T-Touya-nii…" Shouto whimpered._

_Touya spit blood on the ground, the red starkly different in the white snow. He turned his head back towards their father, and Shouto could no longer see his face._

_"You're training _me,_ remember? Not Shouto," Touya snarled. "If you want to take your anger out on being a lousy detective, then take it out on me! Not him!"_

_Their father bared his teeth and let out a low growl. "How dare you speak to me this way! I am the head of this house!"_

_"Yeah, a pretty lousy one!"_

_Shouto reached up and tugged on Touya's sweater. "T-Touya-nii, s-stop!"_

_Touya pushed Shouto's hands away without even looking at him. "Stay back, Sho." _

_"You all need training! You need more discipline! How dare you all treat me with such little respect!" _

_His father smacked Touya again, sending him stumbling back a few steps. Shouto reached up to grab onto his brother again._

_"Touya—"_

"Don't_, Shouto," Touya snapped, pushing him back. _

_Shouto fell into the snow again, his lips quivering. He glanced up at Touya as he turned his head back, his face suddenly covered in blood. It was a red blur, and even his eyes were covered in blood._

_"If you interfere, you'll end up just like me," Touya said. "Isn't that sad?"_

_Shouto's eyes widened. "W-What?"_

_Touya chuckled._

There was an eerie chuckle…

_Shouto jumped, suddenly feeling strange. His body felt heavy, and all of his surroundings started to melt except for his brother's standing figure. Even his father wilted away from the picture, along with the house, leaving just Shouto and his brother standing a few feet apart. _

_His brother stood up straight and he could see a strange smile splitting on his face through the blood._

_"Isn't this entire situation just… sad, Shouto?" his brother asked._

_"T-Touya-nii, what's wrong?" Shouto asked, his frame trembling. "What's going on?"_

_Touya didn't respond. Instead, he leaned forward and grabbed his hand around Shouto's neck, squeezing it tightly._

_"Ack! T-Touya-nii!" Shouto gasped._

_"This situation. Is bad," his brother mocked. "How sad. Todoroki. Shouto."_

_Shouto's breath hitched as he struggled to get his brother's hand off of his neck. His body tightened into panic as he scrambled, his neck feeling like it would collapse under his brother's grasp. _

_"No… T-Touya-nii…" Shouto wheezed. _

_"How sad. Todoroki Shouto."_

"Todoroki?"

_How. Sad._

"Todoroki!"

_Todoroki._

_Shouto._

**"Todoroki!"**

Shouto's eyes popped open and he gasped in a harsh breath. He scrambled for purchase, but he felt tight hands holding him down, which only added to his growing panic.

"Todoroki! Calm down!"

Shouto had heard this voice before but he couldn't discern who exactly it was in the dim room. Where the hell was he?

He managed to shake off one of the hands and he swung it upward, weakly hitting the person's shoulder.

"Oof! Todoroki, it's _me!_ Midoriya!"

Shouto froze, his chest moving up and down rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. He squinted in the dark at the tanned face hovering over him, green eyes wide in concern.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Can you hear me?" Midoriya asked as he squeezed his shoulders.

Shouto was still disoriented as to where he was. Wasn't he just in his home? What day was it?

His eyes flitted around the room, finally recognizing the counter with the old coffee maker and faded cabinet doors. Ah, that was right. He was at the station. He wasn't a child anymore. He was trying to make the rank of detective.

"Todoroki."

Shouto glanced up at Midoriya again, taking note of how close their faces were. Was he… resting on Midoriya's lap? In the break room?

Wait… wasn't he at the hospital with Bakugou?

"Hey," Midoriya said, tapping his unscarred cheek lightly with two fingers. "Focus on your breathing. I think you were having a nightmare."

Midoriya tapped a few beats on Shouto's cheek, and he automatically matched his breathing to the rhythm, slowly calming himself down. His vision cleared and he was finally able to make out the freckles on Midoriya's cheeks. Midoriya's fingers slowed in their tapping and then stopped altogether when Shouto started breathing normally.

"You okay?" Midoriya asked lowly, his hand still on Shouto's face.

Shouto swallowed, the last echoes of his memory—nightmare?—fading out into thin air. He nodded in response to Midoriya's question and then took deep breaths, closing his eyes for a moment to recollect himself. He sighed once he found that his lungs could breathe normally and he gazed up at Midoriya.

"Sorry," he apologized. He moved his arms to push himself up but Midoriya put a hand on his chest and forced him back down.

"You don't need to get up. Or apologize," Midoriya said with a smile. "You look like you haven't slept in days. Just rest, would ya?"

Shouto blinked at him, slowly processing his words, and then his face fell into a pout.

"You're really telling _me_ that? The king of neglecting one's health?" Shouto asked.

"Hey, we aren't talking about me, here!" Midoriya said, his face playful.

Shouto huffed out a small laugh and relaxed, letting his body sag against the couch and Midoriya's thighs. He was so warm that Shouto thought he could actually fall asleep like this. And he thought he was about to, but the image from the hospital suddenly flickered in his mind.

Bakugou.

"Wait, I thought you were at the hospital," Shouto said, looking up into Midoriya's eyes again.

Midoriya tilted his head. "I was. And then I came here looking for you."

Shouto's brows furrowed. "Me?"

"Yeah, of course," Midoriya said with knitted brows. "Uraraka was out in the lobby and she said you had left in a hurry. She seemed pretty worried."

Shouto winced. Damn, he didn't mean for Uraraka to get so worked up about him, too. He averted his eyes, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed.

"I didn't mean to make her worry," Shouto said.

"Well, she wasn't the only one, you know!" Midoriya said with a frown. "You had me scared, Todoroki! I had no clue where you went! I wanted to talk to you about what happened but then you just… disappeared!"

Midoriya's eyes were watering and spilling over as he got more flustered, and he raised a balled fist to swipe them away before they could slide down his flushed cheeks.

"Damn. Now look at what you've done! I'm sitting here crying like a baby," Midoriya said pathetically.

"You're not a baby," Shouto said softly.

Midoriya sniffled and gave a wobbly smile at him, muttering a soft "thanks" as he wiped the snot from his nose. He wiped his eyes one last time and put on a serious face.

"So… what happened? Was it really a nightmare?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto swallowed, remembering in vivid detail the dream that made him descend into panic. He took a shaky breath as he wracked his brain for an answer. How could he even begin to explain the harsh treatment of his older brother? He barely even remembered him, for crying out loud!

Shouto's hands twisted on his stomach as he tried to formulate a sentence. Midoriya's hand squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Shouto glanced up at his green eyes and saw nothing but gentle kindness glowing back at him. It was as if he could feel the warmth and comfort radiating from his body, and it was just from the look in his eyes.

It made Shouto feel a little braver to speak.

"Um… Well, I guess—"

Suddenly, the knob on the break room door jiggled, cutting Shouto's sentence off. After a few more twists, the door swung open, and Lieutenant Aizawa stood in the doorway with a to-go cup of coffee in his hands.

"Ah, good. Looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally up," Aizawa said, lazily drinking his coffee.

"Lieutenant!" Midoriya exclaimed, releasing Shouto's shoulders. Shouto scrambled to get off of Midoriya's lap and he sat up on the couch, feeling his cheeks grow hot.

Aizawa frowned as he swirled around the coffee in his hand. "I had to go across town to get my own coffee since this room was… occupied."

Shouto bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

He hadn't realized how much the room had been used. He should've just gone home instead of trying to make his bed in the break room. His mind was cloudy earlier when he just stormed in and kicked Monoma out. He hadn't been thinking properly.

Aizawa didn't respond to his apology. Instead, he closed the door behind him and flicked on the light, making both Midoriya and Shouto squint from the harsh light.

"Well, I suppose you needed your beauty rest. Even though you _should _have gone home," Aizawa said as he sipped his coffee. Shouto was about to apologize again but Aizawa waved him off. "Doesn't matter. I need to speak with the two of you alone anyway."

Shouto straightened his back, and next to him, he felt Midoriya stiffen in attention. Aizawa took another sip and then pulled out a file that he had tucked under his arm. Shouto hadn't noticed it in the dark but now that the lights were on, the color was almost blinding. He handed the file over to Shouto, who took it and opened it up. Midoriya leaned over his shoulder to read it, and he could feel his breath on his neck.

"I had forensics take samples of the blood you all mentioned at the warehouse. According to these results, there was blood from over 6 different people," Aizawa said.

Shouto's eyes snapped up at him. "What?"

"T-That many?" Midoriya stuttered.

Aizawa nodded solemnly, his eyes downcast for a moment. His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath and then he let them drop slowly.

"They're all from the officers who have been murdered by the fire killer this year," Aizawa explained.

Shouto swallowed, feeling his stomach clench as bile threatened to claw up his throat. His name—that message… was written with those officers' blood. How messed up was this situation?

"And that leads me to my next point," Aizawa said, looking at Shouto directly. "Todoroki, I think it would be best if you stayed in a safe house for now until we can find this killer."

Shouto's eyes blew wide. He stood to his feet in protest.

"A safe house? You have to be kidding me," Shouto said.

"Todoroki…" Midoriya called, also standing to his feet to touch Shouto's shoulder.

"I'm not going to just stand by while this guy goes after our officers," Shouto said. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. But I don't want to be confined while others are at risk—"

"Will you calm down and let me explain? Sheesh, you young people always give me migraines, "Aizawa interrupted dryly. He rubbed his face and sighed, letting his hand drop back by his side. "I didn't say anything about you sticking around in one place. You're still on the case. But I just don't think it's a good idea to go back to your apartment."

Shouto blinked for a moment, taking in Aizawa's words, and then he relaxed a bit. He felt Midoriya gripping his shoulder tightly and he immediately felt a sense of comfort. He cast Midoriya a thankful look, which was returned with a smile.

"It's the safest option right now, especially since you're most likely the next target," Aizawa said. "But… to be honest, you being the target might be used to our advantage."

Shouto tilted his head in curiosity and Midoriya made a strangled noise, releasing Shouto's shoulder to step in front of him.

"You don't mean using him as bait, do you?!" Midoriya asked, clearly appalled.

Aizawa paused for a moment, his eyes gazing up to the ceiling to ponder it, and then he shrugged one shoulder.

"I suppose, yes. That's what I was thinking," Aizawa said.

Midoriya's cheeks went red as he frowned hard. "That's not safe! Why are you playing with Todoroki's life like this?! Haven't we—"

Shouto gently touched Midoriya's shoulder, making the short officer jump and whirl around to face him. Shouto nodded at him and then looked back at Aizawa.

"I'll do it," Shouto said.

"Todoroki!" Midoriya said, aghast.

"Good. We'll come up with a plan for that later. For now, let me show you to the safe house so you can become familiar with it," Aizawa said.

"Yes, sir," Shouto responded, getting ready to follow, but Midoriya suddenly grabbed his wrist and held him fast.

"W-Wait a minute!" Midoriya exclaimed. "I'll stay at the safe house with Todoroki!"

Both Aizawa and Midoriya glanced at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Shouto said dumbly.

"Why on earth do you want to do that?" Aizawa asked, looking bored now.

Midoriya didn't back down, however, and kept his free hand curled in a tight fist.

"I won't let another friend of mine get captured! I want to stay by Todoroki's side to make sure nothing will happen to him," Midoriya said. He bowed his head to Aizawa respectfully. "Please, Lieutenant! Let me stay by Todoroki's side!"

Shouto's jaw dropped slowly, shocked by the display in front of him.

Wasn't Midoriya more interested in… Bakugou? Why was he focusing on Shouto all of a sudden?

Was he…?

"Oh, for the love of—_fine_. You can go stay with him," Aizawa said to Midoriya. "You're lucky you're Yagi's protégé or else I would've transferred you to another precinct by now."

Midoriya leaned up, his face set like stone. His mouth, albeit a little wobbly, was frowning, but he wasn't as teary-eyed as before. It was as if he was in protection mode, and Shouto knew he couldn't stop his partner now.

Aizawa sighed and chugged his piping hot coffee, earning shocked looks from both Midoriya and Shouto. But he ignored it and instead threw away his paper to-go cup like it offended him and then opened the break room door.

"Go pack your essentials and meet me back here in one hour," he said, and exited the break room, leaving behind his confused underlings to gawk at him in shock.

* * *

After an hour exactly, both Midoriya and Shouto arrived back at the precinct wearing civilian clothes and carrying one bag each. They were also wearing hoodies so they could cover their heads on the street to make them less noticeable. Aizawa had also changed into something less conspicuous—an all-black outfit with his hair crowding his face.

"Let's go," Aizawa said gruffly as he gestured towards the door of the precinct.

He led them into a car where the driver took them quite a few blocks away. It was a cozy neighborhood filled with single-family apartment complexes. Shouto felt a little unsettled about living next door to a family with small children.

The car stopped in front of a tall building. It was newer and pristine, but not blatant or blinding. It was definitely more upscale but it fit right in amongst the other neighboring buildings.

Aizawa was the first to get out of the car, grabbing a bag of his own, and Shouto and Midoriya were quick to grab their bags and follow. Their boss walked quickly inside and went right to the elevator. He pressed the 12th floor and up the three of them went towards the middle of the floor. Aizawa pulled out a special card that unlocked the room.

"Welcome to your humble abode," Aizawa said as he swung the door open.

Shouto and Midoriya walked inside, both taking in their surroundings.

The apartment was extremely… normal. It had a couch and TV in the living room as well as all of the regular kitchen appliances. It even included some silly decorations here and there.

"Um… Lieutenant, is this really a safe house?" Midoriya asked as he turned to face him.

Aizawa shut the door behind him and pointed towards a panel on the wall by the entrance.

"This room has a state-of-the-art security system installed. It will detect when intruders break in at any point in the space. Including windows," Aizawa said. He pointed to the door next. "The door and all of the windows are also bulletproof, so they're thicker than the rest of the apartments."

"Whoa," Midoriya said softly. "This is amazing."

"I suppose," Aizawa said, disinterested. He set down his bag and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, you guys get comfortable. I'm not sure how long you're staying here."

Shouto paused, his thumb rubbing over the strap of his bag, his eyes watching closely as Midoriya disappeared down one of the hallways to explore further. Shouto glanced at Aizawa with an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Lieutenant, is this really safe? For the other people living here, I mean," Shouto asked.

He thought of his mother, his siblings… Touya. They were never safe and they were supposed to live in one of the safest places imaginable.

How were they supposed to keep an entire apartment complex safe?

"Don't worry about that. We've got people here working undercover and keeping everyone inside safe," Aizawa said.

"Undercover?" Shouto asked, blinking at him.

Aizawa nodded. "There's a receptionist downstairs. She's one of ours." He nodded to the doorway. "The custodians and housekeepers are also undercover."

The tension in Shouto's body suddenly flushed out of his system. He felt his shoulders fall, relaxed and calm as he leaned against the wall next to him.

"That's… That's good, then," Shouto said.

Aizawa paused for a moment, his brow quirking. "I thought with you being the son of the Chief of Police, you would've known all of this stuff pretty well."

The tension sprung back into Shouto's shoulders like a taut rubber band as he bristled at just the mention of his father. He averted his gaze so he wouldn't accidentally cast a glare in his boss' direction.

"We never really talked much," was Shouto's reply. He hesitated for a moment more before murmuring, "And still don't."

Aizawa remained quiet, his eyes studious and a little fond as he stared at Shouto's profile. His gaze was burning a hole through Shouto's skull. He could feel it.

Don't ask.

_"Stay back, Shouto!"_

Just leave things alone.

_"You will train with me! You're already five years old!"_

Just let it go. Don't bring up the things that didn't need to be brought up.

_"Touya-nii!"_

Please, Shouto begged to Aizawa in his mind. Please understand that this isn't something I want to discuss.

"Um, Lieutenant!"

Before Shouto could spiral into a panic, Midoriya skidded back into the living room looking a bit flustered.

"I think we might have a problem!" Midoriya said, rubbing the back of his head.

Aizawa's brow rose, looking a bit annoyed. "And what would that be?"

Midoriya swallowed, his eyes flitting to Shouto briefly before landing back on Aizawa. His cheeks flushed red.

"Th-There's only one bedroom," Midoriya said.

Shouto's eyes blew wide at his statement, his jaw dropping slightly. He whipped his head back to Aizawa in a silent question, but Aizawa merely shrugged.

"You were originally supposed to be the only one to stay here, but _some people,"_ Aizawa emphasized, looking over to Midoriya, "insisted that they stay with you."

Midoriya swallowed and averted his eyes, his cheeks turning even redder. Aizawa sighed and shrugged, not looking too concerned about it.

"Just figure it out. You both wanted this, so you're going to have to deal with it," Aizawa said. He grabbed the door handle and turned back to look at them. "Be at the precinct in the morning around 0600. We'll discuss what needs to be done then."

Shouto and Midoriya bowed their heads respectfully, both mumbling a quiet, "Yes, sir."

Aizawa pulled the door open and was about to leave, but stopped suddenly in the doorway.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled and then turned back around. He pointed to the bag he left on the entryway. "I brought some disguises for you two."

Midoriya tilted his head. "Disguises?"

"Yep. You'll need to hide your identities in case the killer is actually stalking Todoroki," Aizawa said. He turned to leave and waved a hand in the air. "I don't care what you choose. Just make sure you don't stick out. See ya."

The door clicked shut, and then Shouto and Midoriya were left alone in the entryway. It was suddenly awkward. It had been fine when Midoriya came to visit Shouto at his apartment, and it was fine when he and Midoriya were at the loft while he was injured. But this? This was uncomfortable.

Midoriya shifted, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, well… I guess I can bring over a futon? And maybe some extra blankets or…"

Shouto sighed, turning away from Midoriya and heading towards the living room.

"I'll take the couch," Shouto offered, plopping down and slouching, feeling himself settle.

"O-Oh, uh… won't that be uncomfortable?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto shook his head and gave a noise in response. He lifted his legs to rest on the shallow coffee table and released a slow breath.

"This is fine," Shouto said, feeling his body relax.

Midoriya paused and shifted on his feet, looking a bit sheepish and unsure. He fiddled with the bandages on his hand and gave a small sigh.

"Well, as long as you're sure," Midoriya said. "I'll figure out what to make for dinner. Got a favorite food?"

Shouto opened one eye to peek at him, considering the offer. "Soba. Cold Soba."

Midoriya beamed. "I can do that!"

He scurried to the kitchen to rummage through the fridge and pantry, and Shouto let himself finally relax. The awkwardness was still there, but he at least felt that he could sleep in peace.

But just as Shouto was about to drift off, his phone buzzed, almost violently, in his pocket. He sighed in aggravation and pulled his phone from his pocket, seeing an incoming call from Aizawa.

What the? Didn't he just leave? What more could he want?

"This is Todoroki," Shouto answered.

"One more thing," Aizawa started, not even bothering with a greeting. "I was notified of the results from that surgical staple you found a little while back. Which means, I had to inform the people that are involved."

Shouto raised a brow. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"Ah, well. Remember you saying you didn't speak to your father much?"

Shit.

Oh, _shit._

"Looks like you might get your chance to bridge that gap," Aizawa said. "Oh, and just a heads up. He sounded a little irate on the phone."

Shouto opened his mouth to respond, ready to beg for Aizawa to call his father back to tell him the results were mixed up, were falsified, _anything _so that he wouldn't have to speak to—

His phone buzzed and beeped in his ear, indicating an incoming call.

Shouto pulled the phone back to see another call trying to come through.

_Incoming call: Father_

Well, shit.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you guys for the lovely comments! I'm glad you all are enjoying this :)

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

"Um… Todoroki?"

"Hm? What?"

"Ah… Your phone is ringing again."

Shouto blinked for a moment and poked his head out of the bathroom, staring down the hallway at Midoriya, who was holding up his phone gingerly. His green eyes were flitting back and forth from the screen, looking a bit nervous as he did so.

"Just ignore it," Shouto said, turning back towards the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. He sighed. Did he really have to wear this?

"Um! But shouldn't you answer it?" Midoriya called. Shouto could hear his footsteps coming closer towards the bathroom, and a mop of green hair poked out from behind Shouto's shoulder. "It is your father, after all…"

"That's even more reason to ignore it," Shouto said. "I already know what he's going to say. There's no need to have a conversation about it."

"But he's been calling nonstop all night and morning, right?" Midoriya said. "What if it's important? I'm sure neither one of you got any sleep."

"If it were _that_ important, he would come to see me." He adjusted the wig on his head and sighed, turning to look at his partner. "Could you help me with this?"

Midoriya paused, watching as the phone finally stopped buzzing. "He doesn't usually call you this much, right?"

Shouto sighed. "Please just drop it, Midoriya. We don't have time for this anyway." He pouted as he adjusted the wig, a few of his red and white hairs still sticking out beneath the black hair of the wig. "We have to get ready for work."

Midoriya frowned and set down Shouto's phone, the accursed thing starting to buzz again. He walked over to the bathroom door and helped adjust the wig on Shouto's head, trying to get the black to cover both his hair and the scar on his face. Once it looked about right, Midoriya glanced in the mirror, staring at his own cheesy disguise.

"Do you think the mustache is too much?" Midoriya asked, his bandaged fingers rubbing over the fake 'stache gently.

"I think it's all too much," Shouto said. "This whole thing of keeping me hidden is over the top."

Midoriya frowned, pulling down the mustache hairs with it. "It's to keep you safe, Todoroki."

Shouto tugged on the wig one last time and turned away from the bathroom, ready to be done with it. He just wanted to get back to business as usual so he could get closer to his goal of reaching the Detective rank.

"I don't need this kind of protection. I know how to be safe," Shouto said. He packed up his police uniform and his gun in a backpack, checking to make sure the chamber was empty before packing it away. "I know how to use a gun."

"Well, even if you do, you can never be too careful," Midoriya said, placing Shouto's phone down on the coffee table and following him into the living room. He also grabbed his packed bag and faced Shouto, brows a little furrowed. "Don't you know how all of those police officers went missing? They were _alone_, Todoroki. They were probably caught off guard and there was no one around to give them back up."

Shouto's cell phone buzzed again on the coffee table, the loud rattling echoing in the apartment. He felt his frustration rise as he reached over to grab it. He ground his teeth at the sight of his father's contact popping up on the screen. He would blow a fuse before this day was over.

He powered off the phone and chucked it into his backpack, throwing it over his shoulders and gripping the straps. He looked at Midoriya expectantly.

"Ready?" Shouto asked, completely moving on from their previous conversation.

Midoriya, of course, picked up on the aversion to the topic but said nothing about it. Instead, he gave a small smile and nodded, his silly mustache wrinkling up a bit. Shouto resisted chuckling at him. He looked just as ridiculous as Shouto did.

As they headed out of the apartment, Shouto let out a long yawn, his eyes closing and his hand coming up to cover his mouth. Midoriya's face pulled into another frown at the sight, and he gazed at Shouto in concern.

"You really didn't sleep last night, did you?" he asked. "You can take the bed tonight so you can get some rest."

Shouto waved him off. "I'm fine." He tried stifling another yawn but it clawed up his throat and made tears spring to his eyes.

Midoriya frowned. "Seriously. I can take the couch so you can get a decent rest."

"I appreciate your concern," Shouto said as he rubbed his eyes, "but it's misplaced. I can handle this."

Midoriya didn't look convinced but he said nothing as they continued into the station. They rode the train down a few stops, Shouto holding onto his wig most of the time.

By the time they reached the station, Shouto was ready to throw his wig away. It was getting too itchy, anyway. He grabbed the handle to the front door and glanced over at Midoriya, who was fidgeting by his side.

"What's up?" Shouto asked before he opened the door.

Midoriya jumped a little and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well... Kacchan is back at work today, so… I'm sure he'll say something about what we're wearing."

Shouto's brow twitched.

Just great. He had completely forgotten about everyone else in the precinct.

With a sigh, Shouto opened up the door and invited Midoriya inside. His partner followed behind him and they walked into the main floor where their desks rested. And as soon as they entered, the officers in the room stopped to look at them. Soft snickers started to spread throughout the room, and Shouto sighed. This was humiliating.

"Oi! Nice getup, nerds!" Bakugou called from his desk.

Midoriya frowned at him. "Stop it, Kacchan. We were told to do this."

"Oh yeah? By who? A cosplay director?" Bakugou teased.

"By me, actually," Aizawa said, walking into the room. He was holding up a mug of coffee and staring at the two of them with tired eyes. "But you guys didn't have to come all the way to the precinct like that. You could've changed once you were far enough away from the safe house."

The chuckles in the room because more boisterous, making Midoriya flush and Shouto scowl. He looked to his superior with a look of disdain.

"You could've told us that sooner," he said, pulling off his loose wig.

Aizawa shrugged. "I thought you two would've known that already," he said. He nodded to his office. "Get changed and meet me in my office. I need to speak with you."

Shouto nodded and then looked at Midoriya. "We'll go to the locker rooms to change."

Midoriya nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."

"Actually, I just need to speak with Todoroki," Aizawa interrupted with a raised hand to stop them from leaving.

Midoriya blinked, looking to Shouto for insight. Shouto merely shrugged and pulled off his wig.

"Go ahead and change. I'll meet you back here," Shouto said to him.

Shouto watched as Midoriya nodded and grabbed his duffle bag, heading straight to the locker rooms. He then turned to face Aizawa, who stood looking grimly at him.

"What do you need to speak to me about?" Shouto asked.

Aizawa took a deep breath and sighed, nodding his head towards his office door. He started walking, Shouto tagging along behind him.

"We need to discuss the nature of your possible relation to the killer," Aizawa said lowly so others wouldn't hear.

Shouto winced. "But I don't know anything."

"I figured as much. But we should discuss all possibilities so we know how to proceed," Aizawa said.

They arrived at Aizawa's office door, but instead of going inside, Aizawa stopped, his hand resting on the doorknob. He sighed and turned back to look at Shouto.

"You might want to prepare yourself for what is about to happen," Aizawa said.

Shouto's heart suddenly fluttered against his chest, his eyes widening a bit.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"Well," Aizawa began, turning back to his door, "you aren't the only one interested in the DNA results."

Shouto's feet felt frozen to the floor.

It couldn't be.

Aizawa opened the door and immediately bowed his head a bit. "Sorry for the wait. He's here now."

"It's about time."

Something akin to fear gripped Shouto's chest like a vice. His entire body seemed to stiffen up, his back ramrod straight, and the hairs on all parts of his body stood on their ends as a shiver rippled through him.

Of all the people who had to come to the precinct today, it had to be _him._

"Come in, Officer Todoroki," Aizawa said, gesturing into his office.

Do I have to? Shouto wanted to ask.

But he inhaled through his nose and then entered inside, his eyes immediately flickering to the tall man standing in front of Aizawa's desk. His red hair and sharp blue eyes still haunted Shouto's memories to this day.

"Shouto," he greeted, his voice gruff and unforgiving.

Shouto swallowed, sending a dull glare up to the man.

"Father," he greeted back, just as unforgiving.

Enji stared back at him with narrowed eyes, his glance looking him up and down.

"What are you wearing? You look like a juvenile delinquent," Enji stated.

Shouto frowned, looking down at part of the disguise. He thought it looked fine.

"I gave it to him as part of the disguise," Aizawa said, closing the door behind him. He gestured towards the two seats in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat."

Shouto paused, waiting for his father to move first. Turned out, Enji was just as stubborn as he was. They stood glaring at each other for a moment, both waiting for the other to take a seat.

A sigh from Aizawa broke the spell, and the two Todoroki's looked over to see the Lieutenant taking a seat at his desk.

"You know, the sooner you two cooperate, the sooner we can put this behind us," Aizawa said. "Sit. Now."

Shouto exchanged a look with his father and then held his breath as he took a seat across from Aizawa. Enji sat in the chair next to Shouto, and suddenly, the room felt too stuffy.

He started to claw at the collar of his shirt.

"All right, let's skip the pleasantries. We've got a serious problem here and we need to gather all the information we can on the matter," Aizawa said, and he handed them both manila folders.

Shouto opened up his and started reading the material on the inside. It was details about the DNA test from the blood on the surgical staple. The staple itself wasn't from a local hospital, it noted, and the results were still reading those same numbers.

80% and 50% match. _Match._

"So, you two already know about the results from this staple. And it's highly likely that this staple belongs to the cop killer," Aizawa said.

"What is it you want to discuss here? Are you accusing one of us of being the killer?" Enji asked, voice tight. It made Shouto cringe.

Aizawa blinked at him, unamused. "No. But since there is a link to the both of you, I thought I would conduct an interview." He paused giving an unreadable look to Shouto. "I _was_ going to do it separately, but I suppose this way is killing two birds with one stone."

Aizawa paused in his speech, pulling out a note pad and twirling a pen in between his fingers.

"So. What can you tell me about your family?" Aizawa asked.

Shouto sucked in a breath. His hands were holding his knees tightly, tight enough to cut off circulation. Images suddenly flashed into his mind.

_"Shouto? Oi, bro! Let's go!"_

There was Touya. But he was…

_"My Shouto. Please don't cry. You can do whatever you set your mind to, okay?"_

And mother. But she was also…

"What about my family?" Enji asked, pulling Shouto from his downward spiral. "You couldn't possibly think—"

"I don't know, Chief. That's why I'm asking," Aizawa interrupted. "Now, would you please tell me about all of your family members?"

Enji looked ready to snap at him but he managed to hold back. Surprisingly.

"My wife is Todoroki Rei," Enji began.

Aizawa wrote it down on his notepad, and Shouto felt somewhat offended. He really wouldn't accuse his mother, right? There was no way she would do something so vile.

"And she lives with you?" Aizawa asked.

"No," was Enji's answer.

Aizawa quirked a brow, eyes lifting from his notepad. Shouto squirmed in his seat.

He could handle Midoriya knowing about his past, but Aizawa? That was entirely different.

"Then…?" Aizawa said, gesturing his hand. He was starting to look suspicious.

"She is currently a patient at a mental institution," Enji said.

Aizawa's eyes widened and then flickered to Shouto, who immediately averted his gaze. The silence was thick in the room as Aizawa seemed to wait for an explanation, but one never came. Both Enji and Shouto remained quiet.

"All right. So… There's no possibility of her leaving that facility then?" Aizawa asked, his eyes gliding back to Enji.

"No," Enji answered.

Shouto's hands clasped in front of him in between his knees and gripped hard enough to make his arms shake. He wanted this to be done as soon as possible.

Aizawa frowned and took some more notes. "Okay."

Shouto was slowly leaning forward in a hunch, his back curving downward. It truly was getting too stuffy in there. There wasn't enough space in that room for the three of them.

"What about your children? Er, and your siblings?" Aizawa asked, looking to Enji first and then to Shouto.

Thoughts of Touya, Fuyumi, and Natsu popped into Shouto's mind, but he pushed them away. The memories had faded, anyway, like melted snow.

"We had four children," Enji answered.

"I see." Aizawa hummed and looked at Shouto. "And you are the oldest?"

Shouto only looked at him for a moment before he looked right back down at the ground.

"Youngest," he answered.

"Hm. And what of your siblings? Where are they?" Aizawa asked.

Shouto winced, trying to wrack his brain. Fuyumi was working as a teacher, right? In some school somewhere? And Natsu… was a therapist. He thought. And Touya…

"I…" Shouto started, but he found that his voice was lost to him.

"Two of them are working full-time jobs, just as Shouto is," Enji said, answering for Shouto. When Shoto glanced up at his father, he saw a disappointed look on his face.

"As police officers?" Aizawa asked.

"No. They could not handle the pressure," Enji answered.

Shouto wanted to roll his eyes.

Pressure. Right.

That was _exactly_ why they didn't become cops.

"I see. And the third sibling?" Aizawa asked.

The room fell silent for a moment, and Shouto breathed out through his nose slowly. He never wanted anyone to know any of this. He wished the ground beneath his feet would give way and swallow him whole so he wouldn't have to deal with this.

"Deceased," Enji said plainly.

Shouto frowned hard. He barely even remembered his brother, but why did it still hurt so much? The fact that he never got to know someone? That he was robbed of that chance?

It was all bullshit.

"I… see," Aizawa said, making another note. "So. Do the other two siblings present any hostile personality traits?"

Shouto let out a huff of laughter. There was no way either of the two of them could hurt a fly. Fuyumi was way too nice and Natsu was all bark and no bite.

"Something funny about this?" Enji asked, his voice tight.

Shouto titled his head up to look at him, watching as his bright blue eyes burned with a silent threat. After a moment, he shook his head, looking back to the ground.

"No," he said quietly.

He could still feel his father's hot glare but he pointedly ignored him, trying to push the heat away. And after a moment, Enji cleared his throat and faced Aizawa, the glare finally moving away from Shouto's head.

"Neither one of the others have the personality to do something like this," Enji said.

How would you know? Shouto wanted to ask. It wasn't like he actually made an effort to get to know his own children.

"Hm," Aizawa said, writing down something else. "What about extended family? Anything to report on that end?"

Enji shook his head. "None worth speaking on."

Aizawa tapped his finger on his desk contemplatively. Once a few tense moments in silence passed, Aizawa sighed and placed his pen down.

"Well, that's a start," Aizawa said, standing to his feet. "Thanks for the info. I'll get the teams to examine what we know and see if there are any connections."

Shouto and Enji stood to their feet, as well, and they offered Aizawa a polite bow as the Lieutenant left the office.

Then, they were alone.

Shouto couldn't stay in that room any longer. He couldn't even bear to think about his old man let alone be in the same room as him.

He took a deep breath and headed to the office door, ready to bolt and find Midoriya to go on their patrol. But just before his hand touched the doorknob, he was gripped by his wrist and yanked back violently. He was forced to whirl around and face the man that he had been trying to avoid for a long time.

"What is the meaning behind all of this?" Enji asked. "Did you plant that staple? Are you behind these false accusations?"

Shouto grit his teeth and tried to pry his wrist out of Enji's grasp, but his grip was too strong. It was getting uncomfortable, but Shouto tried not to let it show on his face.

"I didn't plant anything. It wasn't even me who found the staple in the first place," Shouto said. He tugged again and Enji squeezed harder, making Shouto wince. "Let _go."_

"Not until you tell me the truth," Enji said.

"I _am_ telling the truth!" Shouto said, his voice starting to rise.

But Enji ignored his pleas and continued. "If this is some ruse to try to make rank, then it is foolish. Staging evidence will not be good for your career or our family name."

Shouto wanted to explode. He pulled his arm back as fiercely as he could and swatted his father's hand away, offering the man a vicious snarl.

"Our _family name_ means nothing to me!" Shouto yelled. "And I'm going to make the detective rank by my own merit. I'm not a crooked cop."

Enji narrowed his eyes at him, looking every bit as furious as he did when Shouto moved out of the estate a few years back. Finally, after the intense showdown, Enji huffed out an annoyed sigh and adjusted his uniform.

"Fine then. Do as you wish," Enji said, his voice clipped.

Then, just as disastrously as he appeared, he was gone, leaving Aizawa's office in a whirlwind of anger and frustration.

Shouto finally released a long breath and gripped his sore wrist, feeling his heart hammering away inside his chest. His ears started to ring loudly as he started to hyperventilate, his body close to panicking.

No, no. He didn't have time to do this. He had more important things to do.

And he _especially_ could not have a mental breakdown in the middle of his boss' office.

So, he took deep breaths to calm down his thudding heart and then smoothed out his clothes.

He had to focus. Put up those walls. Wear the mask. Become numb.

He had a job to do, after all.

After a few more breaths, he left Aizawa's office and nearly ran right into Midoriya, whose expression was twisted with a mixture of worry and frustration. Shouto couldn't quite decipher which one was more prominent on his face.

Midoriya didn't say anything, which was even more unsettling at first. But when he offered Shouto his bag of clothes in silence, Shouto knew it right away.

Midoriya had heard their entire conversation.

* * *

Shouto could feel Midoriya's eyes on him the entire way back to the safe house. It was incredibly out of place and overbearing, but if Shouto could ignore his father's glare, then he could bear with Midoriya for a few minutes.

It had been a long shift without Midoriya's constant muttering and annoying small talk throughout the day. They did a patrol and searched the same damn warehouse for more clues, but it produced nothing of value. So not only was Shouto on edge by his father's sudden arrival at the precinct, he was frustrated by the lack of findings. Now he only wanted to sleep. For the rest of his life.

As soon as they entered the apartment, Shouto shucked off his shoes and ripped the wig from his head.

"I'm turning in," Shouto said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I can use the bed tonight right?"

Midoriya squeaked and looked at him curiously. "Oh, um. Yeah, that's… fine. But…" He wrung his hands nervously. "Are you sure? What about dinner?"

Shouto waved his hand in the air. "You go ahead. I'm not hungry."

"Ah, wait! Todoroki!"

Shouto shut the bedroom door behind him and then leaned against it. He could feel his chest burning from the lack of oxygen as he trembled and tried to breathe.

Today was too much.

His _life_ had been too much.

Shouto sighed and hurried over to the bed. He stripped down and changed into a pair of sweatpants that he had in his bag and a white t-shirt. He collapsed into the bed and closed his eyes.

Just sleep, he told himself. Sleep and forget.

Forget his entire life's existence. And pretend, just for one night, that he could be anywhere but here, or anyone but himself.

Huh.

If he could've been born as a Midoriya instead of a Todoroki…

Would that have made a difference?

Or perhaps, life would've been better for everyone if he hadn't been born at all.

Shouto sighed and shut his eyes tight, hoping for a decent night's sleep. Due to his restless sleep the night before and his emotional exhaustion from the day, he succumbed to darkness shortly after falling into bed.

But that peace didn't last. He was soon tormented by voices echoing in his head from his distant past.

_"Shouto, get up! You're being weak!"_

_"No," Shouto whispered back, begging his father to stop. "Please let me go!"_

_"You won't stop until you've learned how to overcome this!"_

_"I… can't…"_

_"Stop it! Please! He's only five!"_

_Shouto's heart fluttered. "Mama…"_

_"Get out of my way, woman! You are disturbing his training!"_

_"Mother… don't…"_

_He could see the kitchen through the crack in the door. He could see his mother talking on the phone next to the stove._

_"He is looking more and more like him. I don't think I can stand this anymore. I have to run away."_

_Shouto reached out his tiny hand. "Mama?"_

_His mother whirled around, absolute terror in her eyes. She grabbed the tea kettle from the stove, reared it back and—_

_Shouto sucked in a harsh breath as the room twisted into darkness, leaving him confused and alone. He was no longer the six-year-old boy from before, but a grown man in his police uniform. _

_Just when he thought it was over, he heard a chuckle. _

_Shouto whirled around, trying to reach for his gun in his holster. He pulled it out and searched frantically around the dark room in search of the laugh. It was eerie and familiar. Where had he heard it before?_

**How sad, Todoroki Shouto**.

_Shouto whipped around and was suddenly face-to-face with a tall, dark shadow whose eyes shined blue in the darkness. _

_"Who are you?!" Shouto yelled. _

_The figure just laughed, and a hand reached out toward him. Shouto lifted the gun to aim at it._

_"Stay back!" he shouted. "Stay the hell back!"_

_But the figure kept reaching out towards him. _

_Shouto pulled the trigger of his gun, expecting a huge blast. But instead, the gun just clicked, indicating an empty chamber. He stared down at his gun in shock, and raised his hand to smack it a few times before firing again. And once again, nothing happened._

_The figure laughed and his hand finally clamped down on Shouto's neck, making him drop the gun. _

_"No…" Shouto whimpered._

**How sad…**

_"No!" Shouto yelled. _

_The figure squeezed his neck, and suddenly a flame lit next to Shouto's face. _

**…Todoroki… Shouto.**

"No!"

Shouto shot up from bed with a scream, his hand reaching for his neck. He glanced around the room in a panic, looking for any signs of the dark figure still lurking nearby, but he was completely alone in the dark bedroom.

Shouto found that he couldn't catch his breath. He knew where he was but his emotions were all over the place.

His father, his siblings, his mother, this killer…

It was all too much.

Suddenly, in a burst of energy, the door slammed open and in ran Midoriya, his gun drawn and his chest panting.

"M-Midoriya?" Shouto stuttered, his heart quivering too much to even focus. Was he still in the safe house? How old was he?

"Todoroki?" Midoriya panted, looking over.

Shouto's breath caught, and another surge of panic suddenly gripped him as he struggled to breathe again. He was so relieved to know where he was, but that relief was too cathartic—after years of building up the pain that he had kept inside, for it to suddenly spill all over the place was overwhelming. He hoped the lack of oxygen would make him pass out soon.

"Ah, Todoroki!" Midoriya gasped. He clicked on the safety on his handgun and put it down, hurrying over to Shouto's side. He reached out for him but didn't quite touch him. "Hey, easy, easy. It's me. Midoriya. I-Izuku."

Shouto inhaled another choked breath, his own hands reaching out to grab onto Midoriya's arms. He _couldn't breathe._

"Calm down. Breathe, okay? I think you had another nightmare," Midoriya said, grabbing his hands. "Do you know where you are?"

Shouto nodded, his chest seized.

"Good. And you recognize me?" Midoriya asked, reaching up to cup Shouto's cheeks.

Shouto nodded again, and to his horror, he felt Midoriya start to wipe his cheeks. He didn't know when he had started crying but it was absolutely mortifying.

"Okay, good. It's okay, just relax," Midoriya said. "You can cry. You're allowed to."

Shouto wanted to laugh. Was he really saying that to Shouto? The king of crying?

Midoriya cut off his thoughts by leaning his forehead against his, and he immediately closed his eyes as Midoriya started to card his fingers through his hair.

"Breathe, Shouto," Midoriya whispered. "Breathe with me, okay?"

His name from Midoriya's lips made his heart flutter in a way that cut through the panic. He started to calm more and more as Midoriya started to hum and rock him back and forth.

"I'm here, Shouto," Midoriya said, and Shouto shivered, his shoulders beginning to sag. "I'm here."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

"So… what is it you want me to do?"

"Cause a distraction. Something to get the cops moving in the morning."

"Huh? Like what?"

"Start a fire, cause a disturbance, as if I care! Just make sure you put up this message with this."

"Oh, sick! You really want me to write with this?"

"Yep."

"Damn. That's crazy. I love it. Okay, and then what do you want me to do if the cops show up?"

"That's exactly what I want to happen, so I'll take care of it. There's one that I need to take down. One that's getting in the way of my goal."

"Your goal? Does it have to do with that one kid that you're always talking about?"

"Yeah, he's easy to pick out. Red and white hair, a nasty scar on the left side of his face."

"Mmkay. You tryin' to get him alone, or somethin'?"

"Ah… not tonight. But he'll show up afterwards. Hopefully alone."

"Sheesh, you have a fetish or somethin'?"

"Hah, yeah. Something like that."

* * *

Shouto sighed as Midoriya carded his fingers through his hair, his other arm wrapped around his shoulders. He was pulled close into Midoriya's chest, his forehead resting right over his partner's heart. It was beating steadily, which made his breathing easier.

Shouto had almost calmed completely down from his violent night terror. It had been painful and realistic, shaking him to his core, and he found that he couldn't fall back asleep. Luckily, Midoriya had burst in just at the right moment.

And boy, did he need it.

He didn't realize how much he needed to feel someone else's touch. How long had it been since someone touched him like this? He could only think back to when his mother would hold him tightly as he cried after a particularly bad training session.

His skin almost burned where Midoriya's hands touched him, and he found himself shuddering every time his scarred hand touched the shell of his ear or his nails massaged his scalp. Instant tingles ran underneath his skin as Midoriya's other hand stroked his shoulder, and his legs jolted every time their feet touched.

He felt like he was going insane.

But he also never wanted it to stop.

Shouto sighed, his chest stuttering out air as he nuzzled closer to Midoriya, and he felt the rumble in Midoriya's chest as he chuckled softly.

"Who knew you were a snuggler?" Midoriya said, keeping up the ministrations in Shouto's hair.

Shouto huffed. "I didn't realize I was."

"No? You never snuggled up with friends or your family growing up?" Midoriya asked.

"Well, I did with my mother a little," Shouto said. "Before she went to the hospital."

"Hospital?" Midoriya asked.

Oh. Right.

He explained his scar, but he never told Midoriya of his mother's fate after that incident.

"After she burned me," Shouto started, his throat tight, "my father sent her to a mental hospital. She's been there ever since."

Midoriya's breath caught in his chest and his hand flinched in Shouto's hair. Then, he swallowed and continued.

"I'm sorry, Shouto," Midoriya apologized. "Do you go see her often?"

Shouto shook his head against Midoriya's chest. "I haven't seen her since then." He paused, feeling himself shiver and curl in on himself. "I know I should go see her, but… I'm afraid."

Shouto expected a lecture from Midoriya, telling him that he should try to be brave and face his fears and go to that hospital to see his mother. But, instead, Midoriya's hand squeezed his shoulder tightly.

"Take your time with it. You can see her when you're ready," Midoriya said softly.

Shouto relaxed, shifting closer and pressing his nose to Midoriya's collarbone. He even had freckles there, and it was adorable.

"I'm guessing you've never shared a bed before, then," Midoriya said, amusement present in his voice.

"Nope," he said.

"Not even with your siblings?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto suddenly tensed, his hand coming up to lightly grab at Midoriya's shirt. Thoughts and images flooded his mind, all from his broken childhood. Natsu's anger, Fuyumi's fear and trying to mend the family, and Touya…

He took a few shuddering breaths, and Midoriya's hand froze in his hair.

"What's wrong?" Midoriya asked immediately.

His other hand unconsciously pulled Shouto closer to his chest, which made him relax just a little. Shouto swallowed and tried to calm his breaths, his eyes focusing on the freckles on Midoriya's chest.

"It's just…" Shouto paused, his brows knitting as he tried to remember. "I've been having weird flashbacks about my past lately. My siblings."

Midoriya hummed and continued to run his hand through his hair. "How many siblings do you have?"

Shouto twisted his lips. "I… I am the youngest of four." He paused, fingers tightening their grip on Midoriya's shirt. "But my eldest brother died when I was young."

Midoriya froze and stiffened, his whole body suddenly rigid against Shouto's form.

"Oh. Shouto, I…" Midoriya stuttered, his voice slightly choked. "I'm… I'm so sorry."

Shouto felt his heart flutter, but he shook his head, nuzzling his face into Midoriya's chest again. Since when did he get so touchy-feely?

"It's okay," Shouto said with a shrug. "I never… really got to know him, anyway. I was too young."

"How old were you when he died?" Midoriya asked.

Shouto thought about it. "Maybe around 7 or 8?" he said, thinking it over. His memory of Touya was so fuzzy. "It was after my mom was sent away."

"Oh," Midoriya mumbled. "How… How did he die?"

Shouto frowned as voices filled his head.

_"Get up, Shouto!" _

_"You'll never be good enough if you don't fight back! Toughen up!"_

_"You're being weak, Shouto! Weak!"_

_"Touya was almost perfect, but his body was far too fragile to handle it."_

_"Surpass him! Surpass your older brother so you can grow to succeed!"_

Shouto sighed. While he wasn't actually there when his brother died, he had his suspicions, but he couldn't blatantly accuse anyone of anything at this point.

"I don't really know," Shouto said. "But… he had a weak body, so when my father trained him…" His voice trailed off, not really wanting to say it out loud. It was already too much just to talk about Touya. To talk about his death was too much on his emotional wellbeing.

Midoriya inhaled sharply through his nose and tightened his grip around Shouto's shoulder. He could feel Midoriya shaking.

"Midoriya?" Shouto called, leaning back to look up at Midoriya's face. He was shocked to see Midoriya frowning hard, his brows pulled down in what looked like an irate expression. His eyes started to shine, and Shouto felt his stomach swoop. "Midoriya, what's wrong?"

Midoriya sniffled and furiously rubbed his eyes to make the tears disappear. He glanced at Shouto and winced.

"Sorry. I cry way too much," he mumbled, wiping his eyes again. "But I'm just… so_ angry!"_ he said. He started to allow his tears to run down to his pillow. "I… I _idolized_ him! I thought he was a great detective and when he became Chief, I was sad because Chief Yagi stepped down, but… I thought he was this great person who worked hard to get there and was so revered and—"

Shouto huffed, feeling a smile tug on his lips.

He never thought that anyone would care so much for him like this. Has anyone ever gotten angry for him? On his behalf?

Heh. Why was this guy so… amazing?

"Midoriya," Shouto interrupted, reaching up to wipe the tears from his freckled cheeks.

Midoriya startled at the touch, his anger dissipating as he stared at Shouto with wide eyes. More tears continued to leak from his eyes but Shouto persisted in wiping them away.

"Thank you. For being angry for me," Shouto said. He cupped Midoriya's cheek gently and thumbed away a stray tear. "It… feels nice. To be cared about."

Midoriya blinked a few tears away, sniffling softly. His lips stretched into a wobbly smile and he placed his hand over Shouto's.

"Of course, Shouto," Midoriya said. "I just wish I could do more."

"You're doing enough," Shouto assured, and it made Midoriya smile wider.

They sat in relative silence for a few moments, both dozing in bed and taking in each other's heat. Midoriya was still holding onto Shouto's shoulders, but his grip was looser, more relaxed, but all the more loving. It felt as if something in their relationship changed, like a switch had turned and now they were closer than they had ever been.

Speaking of which…

Shouto leaned back and stared at Midoriya, his head tilting slightly.

"So… you're calling me 'Shouto' now?" he asked.

Midoriya squeaked, his face quickly flushing into a deep red that really made his freckles stand out.

Cute.

"W-Well, I-I didn't, um! Well! It j-just kinda slipped out, and I just wanted to be c-comforting! And I didn't mean to call you that, Sh-Todoroki! I'll go back to calling you—"

Shouto huffed and pulled Midoriya close, resting his forehead against his. He heard Midoriya's breath hitch as he gasped at the touch.

"I don't mind," Shouto said, looking into his eyes. "You can call me Shouto if you want."

Midoriya blinked at him, his eyes widening a little. Then, he broke out into a wide smile.

"Okay! But only if you call me Izuku," he said, pushing his nose against Shouto's.

Shouto huffed and smiled. "Okay. Izuku."

Midoriya—no, Izuku—beamed and let out a small laugh. "We're a mess, aren't we?"

"Nah. It's just me that's a mess," Shouto said.

Izuku's expression turned fond. "We should get some rest then, yeah?"

Shouto nodded, his forehead rubbing against Izuku's curly hair. "Yeah."

Izuku let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, and Shouto followed soon after, his body relaxing into the sheets and soft bed. He could feel it. It would be a nice rest for the first time in a while, and all because Izuku was here next to him. It was… nice.

For the first time in his life, Shouto felt completely at ease. And it was all thanks to—

Suddenly, Shouto's phone started blazing on the end table.

Both of them groaned and Shouto rolled over to grab it, his eyes squinting as the screen flickered to life.

It was his alarm.

"Ha. You've gotta be joking," Izuku said with a tired chuckle.

Shouto sighed, swiping the snooze button and falling back into bed.

"Five more minutes won't hurt."

* * *

"Whoa, guys. What happened to you two?"

Kirishima was the first to greet them as they walked into the precinct. Shouto was dragging his feet, and Izuku not too far behind. They must've looked like zombies. Bakugou remained quiet at his desk, only offering a smug smirk and quirked brow.

"We just didn't sleep well," Izuku answered, holding back a yawn.

Kirishima blinked, his eyes looking back and forth between the two of them.

"The both of you?" he asked.

Shouto lowered his eyes, trying hard to stay awake. "It's a long story."

"Tch. You always gotta be so dramatic, Half'n Half?" Bakugou grumbled. "Acting like a brooding princess all the time. And you're a cop, for crying out loud."

"Kacchan, don't," Izuku admonished quietly. "It's too early for this."

"Shut it, nerd!" Bakugou hissed.

"Don't talk to him like that," Shouto said to Bakugou. While Bakugou guffawed at the rebuke, Shouto turned to Izuku and shook his head. "It's fine, Izuku. Let's just go on our patrol."

Izuku nodded with a light smile. "Okay, Shouto."

"Eh?!" Kirishima squealed, a bright smile on his face. "So you guys are on a first-name basis, now, huh?"

Bakugou scowled. "What the hell is that about?"

Izuku blushed and Shouto shrugged. "We're really good friends now," was his answer.

Kirishima wiggled his eyebrows. "_Just_ good friends?"

"K-Kirishima!" Izuku squeaked.

Shouto tilted his head. "You should get your eyebrows checked out, Kirishima."

Kirishima howled in laughter and slapped Shouto on his back, making him stumble a bit. He blabbed on about something dealing with Shouto's great sense of humor as Shouto stood there, confused and with a sore back.

"What an idiot. Are you really that dense, Candy Cane?!" Bakugou shouted.

"_Kacchan!"_ Izuku pleaded.

Shouto rolled his eyes and rubbed his back. He wasn't in any mood to deal with anything like this today. He just wanted to go back and sleep without any interruptions or reminders of his messed up family life.

"_Shouto!"_

The yell boomed across the precinct, making Izuku jump and the rest of the officers jolt to attention. Even Bakugou stood to his feet and put his hands in his pockets, looking put off about the interruption in their day. It was odd, and a little unsettling that he would look that way towards Enji. Shouto thought Bakugou would want to kiss up as much as possible, but… perhaps not.

Shouto sighed and turned his head, seeing Enji sauntering in, looking like hell. He walked right up to Shouto and stood in front of him, his eyes narrowing. Shouto was about to take a step back, but he felt an arm press against his. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Izuku's curls close to him.

It made his heart feel warm.

"What?" Shouto asked coldly. He wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion or the confidence of having Izuku so close by his side, but he was feeling oddly comfortable with telling off his old man today. "I have to get on patrol soon. Don't get in my way."

Enji looked ready to fume but he appeared to hold back. "Forget that. You are patrolling with me today."

Shouto quirked a brow. "Why? What point is there in that?"

Enji's hands curled into fists by his sides. "I have my reasons."

Shouto scoffed. "I don't have time for this." He looked to Izuku and nodded towards the exit. "Let's go."

Enji reached out and grabbed Shouto's shoulder. It sent thousands of uneasy tingles down Shouto's back as he whipped his head up to meet his father's eyes. The grip wasn't tight, but it was definitely something serious. And Enji didn't look threatening for once. Instead, he looked concerned.

"You may bring your partner with you if you wish. But we need to do this patrol together," Enji said.

Shouto frowned. "Why? What's going on?"

Enji's eyes narrowed as he stared around at the other officers.

"Let's not discuss this here. Let's get to my car," he said softly.

Shouto blinked, eyes wide as Enji released him and headed out of the precinct, his back rigid and tense. The rest of the officers in the room were silent, all staring towards them, their faces a mixture of fear and relief that they were left out of it.

Shouto's heart was pounding. What in the world was going on?

"Shouto, something's not right here," Izuku said, his crooked hand landing on Shouto's shoulder. Izuku was looking towards Aizawa's office, a crease in between his brow. "His office is empty."

Shouto tilted his head.

Where was Aizawa? He was usually here by now. Even if he was asleep in his office, he was at least _here._

"We should go," Izuku said, looking at Shouto sternly. He lowered his voice and averted his gaze towards the exit of the precinct. "I hate your father just as much as you, but he might be the only person who knows what's going on."

Shouto frowned, his ears ringing slightly.

_"Get up!"_

A shudder ripped through him and he pinched the bridge of his nose, making himself calm down before he could descend into a panic.

"Okay. Let's go."

They hurried out of the precinct and went straight to the lot where Enji's car was parked. It was quite a big vehicle, and there were several other higher-ranked officers standing on the outsides of the car. It was like it was a presidential motorcade or something.

How haughty of him.

The officer opened up the back door to the police car, and Shouto and Izuku exchanged nervous glances before climbing inside, the door closing shut behind them.

Enji was in the front seat, holding some files in his hands. He threw them to the back seat, and Izuku scrambled to catch them all.

"We've got a new location for the killer. They've narrowed it down to one district in the city," Enji said. "Our job is to investigate the area and find this bastard."

Shouto furrowed his brows as he read over the papers. An attack late last night, officers surrounding the area…

"I don't understand," Shouto said, looking up at his father. "Why do you want me on this? Where's Lieutenant Aizawa?"

Enji took a deep breath and sighed, handing them back a picture from the scene last night.

It was another message written in blood, but this time, it read:

**How sad, Todoroki Shouto.**

Shouto felt his blood run cold, a shiver running through his body.

"Another message," Izuku mumbled. He looked to Shouto with concern in his eyes. "Shouto, this…"

Shouto closed his eyes and breathed. He could still hear that eerie chuckle from the night of the first message. The message had appeared twice now and it was making him feel sick.

"Lieutenant Aizawa was on patrol last night and was injured on the scene."

Shouto and Izuku snapped their heads up to look at Enji, both with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"He's injured?!" Izuku squeaked.

"Is he all right?" Shouto asked.

Enji hummed lowly in his throat. "He will be. But he's in the hospital for now."

Shouto grit his teeth, eyes lowering to his lap. What in the world happened? Why were they not alerted last night? Why were they not called?!

He handed the picture to Izuku and looked at Enji, trying to ignore his flipping stomach.

"Where was the attack?" Shouto asked, his voice low.

Enji leaned forward and started the car. "Put your seatbelts on. We're going there now."

* * *

The car came to a stop at a park of all places. It was eerie to see such a beautiful park as the place of a crime scene. It was enough to make Shouto's stomach churn. He pressed a hand to his stomach and focused on the task at hand.

Focus, he told himself. Don't descend into panic. Not yet.

There were already several other police cars at the scene, and yellow tape lined the surrounding area of the park.

"Anything new?" Enji asked an officer on duty as he approached.

The officer bowed slightly and then shook his head. "No, sir. Our men have searched relentlessly, but there have been no clues."

Enji frowned, hard lines etched into his face. "Tell your men to search again. I want to catch this bastard before he can make a mockery of me."

"Yes, sir!"

Enji turned to Shouto and Izuku. "You two can come with me. We will search together."

Shouto frowned, a little put off by the idea. But he didn't have time to complain about it. Lieutenant Aizawa was injured last night and then a message was put up in the public park. Children _play_ here, for crying out loud.

This guy had to be stopped.

Shouto nodded to Izuku, who nodded back, and then they began their search along with the other officers. They circled around the entire park, looking for evidence, clues… anything.

After hours of searching through the trees and the far edges of the park that led back to the city, they ended up in the center of the park where the playground sat. Right next to the swings and near the bright yellow slide was the rock wall.

And the bloody message left for Shouto.

"Damn it! This was a waste of time," He Enji said, yanking his phone from his pocket. "Where the hell are you, Hawks?! You're supposed to be here helping!"

Enji stomped away, thoroughly miffed, leaving Shouto and Izuku to stare at the bloody mess on the colorful rock wall.

"Ugh, this is so sick. How could someone do this to a playground?" Izuku said, shaking his head. "They'll probably have to just... tear this all down, right?"

Shouto didn't respond. He stared at the blood running down to the mulch below, his stomach clenching and flipping.

This... seemed familiar somehow.

_"Be careful, little bro! If you go too high, you might fall!"_

_"Don't worry, Nii-san! I'll be—a-ah!"_

_"Shouto!"_

_"O-Ow... Touya-nii... it hurts!"_

_"Don't worry, Sho. I'll fix you up, okay? It's just a little blood, don't cry."_

"Shouto?"

Shouto jolted when he felt Izuku's hand touch his shoulder. He looked at Izuku, feeling a tremor in his hands by his sides.

"You okay, Shouto?" Izuku asked, not removing his hand.

Shouto was about to nod, just moving to gloss over it, but when he looked at Izuku's concerned eyes, he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of lying to his closest friend. He swallowed, pushing down his fears of vulnerability, and then he shook his head.

Izuku nodded and hurried to guide him away from the message on the rock wall.

"Okay, why don't we leave? Maybe visit Lieutenant Aizawa?" Izuku asked.

Shouto felt as ease just thinking about Aizawa. He nodded at Izuku, and Izuku held his hand tightly.

"All right. Let's go, then," Izuku said.

He tugged on Shouto's wrist and started to guide both of them out of the park, but a booming voice stopped them in their tracks.

"And just where do you think you two are going?"

Shouto felt sweat glide down the back of his neck at the voice, and he slightly tilted his head to see his father now hovering nearby. How did he get to them so fast?

"We're going to visit Lieutenant Aizawa in the hospital," Izuku said. "We'll pick this case back up tomorrow."

"We're not done here," Enji spat. "Shouto has a job to do if he wants that Detective ranking."

Izuku gripped Shouto's wrist, and he glanced up to see a fire burning in those green eyes.

"Actually, _Chief,"_ Izuku said, his voice surprisingly calm, but firm, "Shouto _is_ done here. And we're going to visit our superior to make sure he is all right."

Enji's hands curled into fists, but he quickly folded his arms across his chest to hide them.

"You don't even know what hospital he's staying at," Enji said.

"His injury report had the address. I've already memorized it," Izuku rebutted calmly.

Shouto inhaled a breath through his nose and cut his eyes to look at his father. Enji was silent, but his eyes were fuming.

"Excuse us," Izuku said with a slight bow, and then they were both heading off in the opposite direction, Shouto's breaths coming in easier with every step. When they were far enough away, Izuku glanced back at Shouto, his thumb rubbing over his pulse. "You okay?"

Shouto nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah, let's just… go see the Lieutenant."

Izuku hummed and nodded, pulling Shouto along by the wrist down the empty sidewalk

After a few more blocks, Shouto gently tugged his wrist out Izuku's grip. Izuku slowed his steps for Shouto to catch up, his green eyes looking on with concern.

"I'm fine," Shouto assured.

Izuku hesitated. "You sure? I mean... no offense, but you almost looked like how you did last night when you woke up from that nightmare."

Shouto sighed. He wondered if Izuku would pick up on that.

"Yeah, well... I'm having awful memories pop into my head lately," Shouto explained. "It's everywhere I go now, it seems."

Izuku hummed sympathetically and adjusted his badge on his uniform.

"I'm sorry you're going through so much," he said.

Shouto huffed. "_I'm_ sorry that I've been relying on you lately," Shouto apologized as they reached the same street as the hospital.

Of course, Izuku smiled and shook his head. "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm your friend! That's what I'm here for."

Friend.

Just hearing that word made Shouto's eyes burn.

He quickly averted his gaze to look at the hospital in front of them, his steps stuttering to a stop. The name of the hospital was obscure, and the building looked a bit more upscale than a typical hospital building.

And something about the name...

Shouto shook his head, flinging away the thoughts, and he looked over to his partner.

"This is the hospital where Lieutenant Aizawa is staying?" he asked.

Izuku nodded. "Yep. I think this hospital was built with more security features or something."

"Huh," Shouto hummed, unsure whether or not to be impressed.

They walked inside, both having to show their badges at the door, and walked up to the secretary desk and asked for Aizawa's name.

"One moment, please," the woman behind the desk said. She typed on her computer, mumbling to herself, "Therapy, orthopedics, psychiatrics..."

Shouto's heart jolted. He whipped his head back to look at the name of the hospital printed above the door.

_"Touya-nii, where's mommy?"_

_"Huh? Oh. She's... at a hospital."_

_"Dad said she was sent away. What's the name of it? I want to visit."_

_"Ah... Sho, I don't know if—"_

_"Please?!"_

_"Ugh... fine. It's—"_

"He's in room 207."

"Thank you very much."

Shouto flinched, turning back around to see Izuku waiting for him, his head tilted slightly.

"You coming?" Izuku asked.

Shouto swallowed, his eyes gazing at the map to the hospital. The psychiatric ward was in the East wing.

Which meant…

_"Why is she in there?"_

_"Sho… you know why."_

_"But! I want to go see her!"_

_"It's… It's not safe right now. She's sick."_

_"Oh. When do you think I can go see her?"_

_"I dunno, bro. Give it time. I'm sure you can go see her when things settle back down."_

_"Oh. Okay."_

"Shouto?"

Shouto blinked, the hospital coming back into view. He tore his eyes from the hospital sign and turned to face Izuku.

"Ah... yeah. I'm coming."

* * *

"Hey, Dabi. Come in. You there?"

"Ugh, what do you want? I'm tryin' to sleep here."

"At 6 in the evening? What are you, 60?"

"Just get to the point."

"Alright, alright. I spotted the kid you're after."

"Hah? Where?"

"Shinjuku Specialty. The hospital."

"…You don't say."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

Shouto stared at each of the rooms they passed by, taking note of every patient they passed. Some patients were so sick that they couldn't even get out of bed.

Shouto bit his lip. He hated hospitals. He's always hated them ever since he was a child.

_"It hurts!"_

_"Shouto, don't touch it! Let the doctors help you!"_

_"B-But it hurts! I c-can't… see!"_

_"It's okay, Sho. Big brother's got you, okay?"_

_"Please! Make it stop! Where's Mommy? I want Mommy!"_

Shouto sighed, his hand rubbing his scar carefully. That night was terrible. And he knew that his mother was taken away, somewhere far.

But now… he was so close.

He knew that she was in this building. He could go visit her at any point.

Should he…?

Is it… even possible to—

"Oof!"

"Whoa, Shouto!"

Izuku's hand shot out to grab Shouto's arm as he stumbled right into Izuku's back, giving him a wobbly smile.

"You look like a zombie, geez," Izuku said with a slight chuckle. "Did you even see me stop?"

Shouto sighed and shook his head. "Yeah. Sorry. Are we at Lieutenant's room?"

Izuku's brow rose and he nodded. "Yeah, it's right there." He pointed to the door near them where two police officers stood on guard. "You alright?"

Shouto fidgeted in place, his hand reaching up to fiddle with his uniform shirt. He swallowed, eyes darting down the hall towards the end where they came from.

"It's just…" Shouto paused and then sighed, feeling frustrated with his indecision. "It's my mom."

Izuku tilted his head. "Your mom?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "She's… in this hospital."

"She is?!" Izuku shrieked, and then immediately slapped his palms over his mouth as the officers outside of Aizawa's hospital door stared him down. "Then why don't you go see her?" he whispered.

Shouto rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I mean…" Shouto looked down at his feet. "What if she hates me?"

Izuku reached up to touch Shouto's shoulder. "She doesn't hate you, Shouto. From what you told me, it sounds like she probably loved you. And _still_ loves you."

Shouto placed his hand over Izuku's and held it on his shoulder, never taking his eyes off of Izuku as he spoke. He could feel his heart hammering away inside of his chest.

"Let's go visit her together. Today. After we check in on Aizawa," Izuku said with a smile. "What do you say?"

Shouto focused on the warmth radiating from Izuku's palm. Izuku was always so _warm._ All he ever felt growing up was a cold so painful that it burned. But Izuku's warmth wasn't hot like the boiling water that splashed on his face, but like a soothing hot spring that made all of his limbs tingle and relax.

He took a deep breath and then nodded, a small, nervous smile sliding across his face.

Izuku's smile was much wider and more confident, and he squeezed Shouto's shoulder once more before letting go. He turned to Aizawa's room and smiled at the guards, the two men stepping aside and allowing them to pass through.

Upon entering, they noticed that Aizawa was sitting up in bed, his arm in a cast and sling as well as a bandage under his right eye. There was also a man with long, blond hair sitting on the couch next to him.

"Ohh, and who might you two be?!" the blond asked.

Shouto and Izuku both winced at the sound, their eyes squinting.

"Ah. Todoroki, Midoriya. Welcome," Aizawa greeted.

"Hi, Lieutenant!" Izuku greeted.

Shouto gave a single nod, his eyes landing over the multiple injuries that were all over Aizawa's body. He didn't seem to be in too much pain, though, which gave Shouto some relief.

"Are you just ignoring me, or are you gonna introduce me?!" the blonde yelled. _Yelled._ Why was he yelling so much?

Aizawa's eye twitched slightly, but he held out a hand towards the man.

"This is Yamada Hizashi. He's one of our dispatchers," Aizawa explained.

"Howdy, fellas!" Yamada said, his voice super loud. "I think I've heard Shouta talk about you two. Y'all are really interesting! Especially with all the stories he's told me!"

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Ignore him," he drawled. "So, what are you two doing here? Last I heard, the Chief was putting you guys to work."

Izuku smiled slightly. "We wanted to check up on you. We were worried when we found out you got hurt," he said softly. "How're you feeling?"

Aizawa gestured towards his arm and shrugged.

"I could be better, I guess," Aizawa said. "I'm more annoyed that I let the guy get the jump on me."

"Now, now, Shouta. You got away with your life!" Yamada said, his smile a bit strained. "That's something to be happy about!"

"Tch. Not when I was so close to catching the bastard," Aizawa said.

Shouto frowned. "Who did this to you?"

Aizawa glanced up at him, his face turning hard. "The cop killer."

Shouto felt his heart lurch, and Izuku jolted by his side. It was as if the world had suddenly stopped turning.

"W-What?! You were chasing after the killer?" Izuku asked. Aizawa nodded, and Izuku squeaked, waving his arm in the air. "Alone?!"

Aizawa sighed. "What do you want me to say? I saw him and gave chase."

"And you didn't call for backup?" Shouto asked, feeling a little affronted by it.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "I'm not an idiot. Of course, I called for backup," Aizawa said slowly, making Shouto back off. "They just didn't get there in time."

Shouto frowned, his lip pulling to the side. "So… he got away?"

Aizawa blinked down at his cast and shifted. "Well, considering that he and one of his goons nearly broke my arm to pieces, I didn't exactly have the opportunity to make an arrest."

"Hey, don't move too much," Yamada said, his voice a little soft and gentle, his hand reaching out to readjust Aizawa's pillows. Aizawa nodded at him in silent gratitude.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," Izuku said. "If only we were there with you when this all happened."

Aizawa hummed. "Well, there is some good news for all of this."

Shouto and Izuku both tilted their heads as Yamada beamed and pilfered through his messenger bag. He yanked out a manila envelope and thrust it in Shouto's direction. He took it with furrowed brows and unclasped the clip at the top.

"While I was trying to fight him off, I managed to get a good look," Aizawa explained as Shouto pulled out the paper tucked inside the envelope. "So I spoke with our composite artist for a while. He left not too long ago, actually."

Shouto and Izuku both dropped their jaws at its contents.

It was a sketch of the killer. And boy, did he look rough.

Burned skin, stitches and tattoos covering his face and neck. It looked like something out of a horror movie. It was both creepy and fascinating at the same time.

And yet…

Shouto couldn't help but feel something squeezing in his chest. This man… looked eerily familiar.

Especially his cold eyes.

Shouto swallowed, his fingers pinching the edges of the sketch.

"I think he captured the killer perfectly," Aizawa said.

A crease formed in between Izuku's brows after he studied the picture and looked back at Aizawa, baffled and wide-eyed.

"This is what the killer looks like?" Izuku asked.

Aizawa nodded. "Every detail."

"This is crazy," Izuku said as he shook his head. "This… looks like a monster."

"Well, he _is_ a killer!" Yamada said with a smile. "It's no surprise he looks so insane. He _is_ insane!"

Shouto twisted his lips and stared into the eyes of the killer, his chest constricting. He looked up at Aizawa with pinched brows and a wince grazing his features.

"What color are his eyes? Did you get a good look?" Shouto asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Izuku looking over at him.

Aizawa blinked at him lazily and then studied Shouto's face. "Really blue. Kind of like the color of your left eye, actually."

Shouto frowned and stared down at the picture again, the killer's lazy eyes seeming to haunt him. He suppressed a shiver.

"Can we hang onto this? For reference?" Izuku asked.

Aizawa gave a nod. "Take it to the precinct to get copies made and hand it out to all of the officers."

Izuku and Shouto nodded and both bowed their heads slightly. "Yes, sir," they both said.

"Good," Aizawa said. He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, closing his eyes slightly.

Yamada smiled and pulled up the blanket, giving Shouto and Izuku a wink through his glasses.

"He'll catch up with you guys once he's better," Yamada said. "Why don't you guys go ahead and get back to the station, yeah?"

The two officers nodded, Izuku stepping forward to bow his head again.

"It was nice meeting you," Izuku said.

"Same here, little fella!" Yamada said with a wave. "Oh, and you!" He pointed to Shouto and the officer stopped, blinking wildly at the man. "Try to smile more, okay? Don't look so constipated all the time."

Shouto frowned, and he heard Izuku snicker beside him. He sent a glare in his partner's direction, who quickly turned away and puffed out his cheeks to prevent anymore laughs from bubbling to the surface.

"Thanks for the advice," Shouto said, storming out of the room.

"Ah, wait up, Shouto!"

Shouto could hear Izuku quickly following behind him, his footsteps light and swift. Soon enough, his partner caught up beside of him with a worried look on his face.

"Shouto, what are you doing? I thought we were going to visit your mother," Izuku said as he followed Shouto towards the exit of the hospital.

"There's no time. We have to get these sketches to the precinct for distribution," Shouto said.

Izuku frowned. "But… what about—"

"We'll go afterward," Shouto said, his face softening as he looked at Izuku. "I promise."

Izuku twisted his lips in a tight pout, not looking satisfied, and he let out a quick sigh, his shoulders jumping in a light shrug.

"Fine. But once we're done there, we come straight back," Izuku said.

Shouto rolled his eyes. "I'm not even sure if I need to see my mother now. I've got a really good one right here."

"_Hey!"_

Izuku's face broke into a shy smile as he shoved Shouto's shoulder, and Shouto couldn't help but break into a smile of his own. Izuku's charm was so contagious. He wondered if he could keep Izuku close to him forever.

Shouto huffed out a small laugh. The thought alone made him giddy.

* * *

"These are rough sketches of the killer. Pass them around, make signs, posters. Get in contact with our other precincts. Anything that could help us catch this guy."

Shouto stood next to his partner as Izuku delivered the news to the entire precinct. Everyone was shell-shocked at the sudden reveal of the killer's face, and most of the precinct was wearing grimaces on their faces.

The picture was definitely not pretty, especially with all of the staples seemingly stuck inside the killer's face and neck. It was almost unbelievable, but then again, it was so outrageous that it couldn't have possibly been made up.

Even Bakugou, who usually stood proudly and arrogantly, was staring at the picture with bewilderment in his eyes. Shouto resisted smirking at him.

"So, should we start getting on this today?" Kirishima asked, looking around at everyone else.

Izuku nodded. "I think that's what Aizawa would want."

Shouto also nodded, his eyes sliding across the room to see the other officers sitting in the seats with wide eyes and determined expressions.

And, in the very back of the room, stood Enji, his eyes narrowed and expression gruff. Shouto frowned when they locked eyes and quickly looked back at Izuku to try to concentrate on his words about the killer. It was hard to focus, especially since there was such a heavy presence in the room. Who called him here, anyway? Shouto would love to have a chat with that person.

"Anyway, I think we should probably start patrols with this in mind. Maybe asking people if they've seen him?" Izuku suggested, looking to Shouto for support.

Shouto nodded, breathing out the tension in his chest. "We should check sketchy areas and ask around."

"Interrogating lowlifes in the area? Is that the best we can do here?" Bakugou asked.

Izuku shrugged. "It's really all we've got right now."

Bakugou rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat, snatching up the file and the picture.

"Fine. But I'm gonna catch this asshole first!" Bakugou barked as he started to slink out of the room.

"Ah, wait up, Bakugou!" Kirishima said, scrambling to follow.

The rest of the officers took that as their cue to clear out, each getting up from their seats and starting to file out of the conference room.

Shouto heard Izuku sigh and he turned towards his partner, watching as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced up at Shouto with a small, shy smile.

"That was nerve-wracking," Izuku said. "I didn't think they would listen to what I had to say."

"You did a good job," Shouto said. "You even had Bakugou's attention."

"Ah, really? Even Kacchan?" Izuku asked.

"Don't be so surprised. He's probably jealous that he didn't get up here and speak," Shouto said.

Izuku huffed out a small laugh. "That does sound like Kacchan."

"Shouto."

Shouto opened his mouth to speak again when he heard a gruff voice call his name. He turned and saw his father approaching him, that same scowl on his face.

"You should accompany me on this patrol to look for the killer," Enji said.

"I already have a partner. I don't need a new one," Shouto said, nodding his head towards Izuku.

Enji's frown deepened. "This could be a great opportunity for you to learn."

"I don't want to learn anything from you anyway," Shouto said, brushing by him.

Enji grabbed at Shouto's shoulder, making him flinch. He cursed himself for flinching at all, but he couldn't help himself. It was all too familiar.

"Why bother running around with a rookie when you can learn from one of the best?" Enji asked. "You don't have time for this, Shouto. You're wasting your career by hanging with this fool!"

Shouto grit his teeth and whirled around, shoving Enji's big hand off of his shoulder in a snarl.

"Izuku is not a fool. He'll become a better detective than I will ever be," Shouto said.

"Shouto…" Izuku whispered, hurrying to his side. He grabbed his bicep and tugged him away from Enji slightly. "Sorry, Chief, but we really have to go."

Enji frowned at them. "Are you going on a patrol now, Shouto? What sector?"

Shouto opened his mouth. "That's none of your—"

"We actually have to go visit someone!" Izuku interrupted.

Shouto whipped his head to the side to stare at his partner. He had completely forgotten about that. He had been so worked up about the case and his father that the mention of his mother had slipped his mind.

"Visit someone? Who?" Enji demanded.

Izuku's confidence was quickly doused with that question. "Uh… well, it's, um…"

Shouto grabbed Izuku's hand that rested on his bicep and looked up at his father.

"We're going to visit Mom," Shouto said.

Enji's face suddenly changed. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened a bit. He seemed to be stunned silent, which was perfect.

Shouto took that moment to flee.

"C'mon," Shouto said, dragging Izuku out of the room and leaving Enji behind. Along the way, he could feel Izuku squeezing his hand, and he glanced back to see Izuku smiling brightly at him. Shouto squeezed his hand back, feeling something bubbling in his chest.

Maybe this feeling wouldn't have to go away.

* * *

By the time they got posters made and contacted all of the other precincts in Tokyo, the sun had almost set beyond the horizon. Once they were done, Izuku latched onto Shouto's hand and led them down the street and close to the same hospital as that morning. For most of the way there, Shouto had not let go of Izuku's hand, and he wondered if his partner minded it. Every time he would look over to check, Izuku was calmly walking beside of him with a smile on his face. It was as if Izuku didn't mind being so close to Shouto.

Shouto smiled, too. It was warm.

His happiness was short-lived, though. As they arrived at the hospital, Shouto found himself hesitating.

He pulled to a stop right outside the doors to the hospital, his hand going limp in Izuku's grasp.

"Shouto?" Izuku chirped, leaning to try to make eye contact. "What's up?"

Shouto frowned, his hands clenching his uniform pants.

"I'm afraid that she'll still see me as a monster," Shouto said.

Izuku shook his head. "She won't."

Shouto bit his lip, looking back to the hospital doors. There was a receptionist still inside at the desk, typing furiously at the computer.

It was easy, Shouto told himself. Just go in and tell her that he's looking for Todoroki Rei. Todoroki Rei. That was all he had to do.

Easy…

Right?

"I…" Shouto began, his chest clenching and unclenching and lungs tight.

Izuku grabbed his shoulder, opening his mouth to probably say some words of encouragement, but he was interrupted by his phone blaring loudly in his pocket. Izuku looked torn, his eyes staying on Shouto for just a moment more before reaching into his pocket. He yanked his phone out and answered it quickly.

"H-Hello?" Izuku said into the phone. There was a brief pause, and Izuku's eyes widened, one of his brows lowering over his eye. "Wait, Mom, slow down! What's going on?"

Shouto strained his ears to try to hear. He picked up a few words here and there, like "work" and "trouble." Whatever it was, Izuku's mother sounded a little frantic.

"Uh… you mean now?" Izuku said, looking up at Shouto in alarm. "But I've got something to do tonight."

Shouto bit his lip, his eyes looking to the hospital doors and then back to Izuku. He didn't want to keep his partner waiting, especially if it was an emergency.

"Go on, Izuku," Shouto said. "You can meet up with me later."

Izuku frowned, looking conflicted. He also glanced into the hospital, the phone still up to his ear. Shouto could still hear Izuku's mother babbling on, and some static carrying on in the background as it crackled over the phone line.

Finally, after a moment, Izuku sighed and relented, shaking his head softly and regrettably.

"Okay, Mom, just try to stay calm, okay? I'll be there as soon as possible," Izuku said.

Shouto heard a quick, "Thank you so much, Izuku!" and then the call was over. Izuku pocketed his phone and looked up at Shouto remorsefully.

"We can come back another day if you want me to come with you," Izuku said. "But… it seems my Mom has gotten into some car trouble."

Shouto rubbed the back of his neck, his mind imagining what it would be like to meet Izuku's _mother_. Ah, he wondered if she was just as spastic as Izuku was. Cute.

"It's fine. I'm sure she needs your help," Shouto said. "I'll go on in to see my mom. You can meet her later. Sound good?"

Izuku smiled, nodding quietly. "Then next time, you can meet my mom."

Shouto's lips twitched. "I'd love that."

"Me, too," Izuku said with a fond expression. He took a deep breath and glanced out at the road. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. I'll… see you later?"

"Yeah. See you."

With those parting words, Izuku took off down the road, leaving Shouto to stand out in front of the hospital alone. Shouto watched Izuku's retreating back until it was gone. It stalled only a few seconds of his time, however, and now he was stuck with the decision to enter or to stay outside. The decision to see his mother. The woman that he hadn't seen in about 20 years.

Damn it, Shouto thought, his hand reaching up to wrench his hair. Why on earth hadn't he visited sooner? Would she even recognize him anymore?

Shouto sighed and faced the building again, his eyes landing on the receptionist. The woman wasn't even looking at him, but Shouto still felt so intimidated just thinking about entering.

Maybe he should take a walk. That should clear his head. Do a lap around the hospital first? Then he'll be energized enough to just march right inside. Yeah. That would be good.

Shouto turned away and started to make his way down the sidewalk, his hands shoved into his pockets. Several thoughts swirled around in his mind as he walked, and he tried to calm his heart. Izuku was certain that his mother wouldn't hate him.

_"He's so unsightly. He's looking more and more like _him!"

But what if she did?

Shouto's frantic steps slowed to a stop, his hand coming up to touch his scar on his face. This was all too much. Maybe he should just leave. Text Izuku to tell him he'd gone home. Maybe he should just go out and try to find the killer with his father. Maybe he should—

"**Well, well, well. Look what we've got here**."

Shouto's heart nearly jumped out of his chest at the voice, and suddenly, there was a rag being pressed to his nose and mouth. An arm wrapped around his shoulders and held his arms in place.

He tried to wriggle free, but something on the rag was making him incredibly sleepy. His eyelids were slowly closing and his vision was blurring.

He heard an eerie chuckle, one that was sending so many red flags into his brain that he thought he was going to choke.

It was _him._ It was that damned killer!

Shouto's knees crumpled underneath of his body and he fell limp to the ground. He could feel hands touching him, and it would've made him sick if he didn't feel so tired.

Above him, he could make out a figure in the dark. Spiky hair, and glint of silver here and there, but nothing else.

"Isn't this just sad?" the voice taunted. "Todoroki Shouto."

Shouto let out a soft whine, his chest hitching as he willed his body to move. He tried to reach for his phone, but he felt it had fallen out of his pocket and onto the sidewalk during the struggle. His hand tried to grab at it, but instead, his eyes slipped shut and he fell into darkness, leaving his body to the mercy of his captor.

* * *

"Thank you, my dear! I didn't know what I was going to do all on my own."

Izuku smiled at his mom as he helped her load the spare tire into the trunk of her car. Changing the tire was fairly simple, and since Izuku's muscles had grown a lot over the years, he was able to change the tire in no time at all. Even without his mother's help.

"It's no trouble, Mom! I always want to help you when I can!" Izuku said. "Are you on your way home?"

Inko nodded. "I just got off from work, actually. Would you like to have some dinner with me?"

Izuku smiled, wanting nothing more than to eat a delicious homemade meal with his mother. But Shouto's strained smile back at the hospital was making him feel even more on edge.

"Ah, sorry. But I have plans with Shouto," Izuku said.

Inko's face lit up suddenly. "Shouto? You mean Todoroki? That's your new partner, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Izuku answered with a bright smile. "I've told you about him before, right?"

"Well yes, but you haven't called him by his first name," Inko said, putting a hand to her cheek.

Izuku blinked at her. "Oh. Well, I guess… not."

Inko smiled. "You seem to talk about him a lot, Izuku."

"Um… I guess?" Izuku said cautiously. Where was she going with this?

"When am I going to meet this boy?" Inko said. "He seems to have completely charmed you."

Izuku's face suddenly flushed a deep red and he waved his arms in the air.

"I-I-I didn't s-say anything about l-liking him!"

Inko giggled, and it only made Izuku blush harder. He slapped his hands over his face and groaned.

"Mom, please stop," he whined.

"Okay, okay! I'm just teasing you," Inko said, patting his shoulder. "But seriously, Izuku. Bring him to dinner, okay? He seems like such a sweetheart by how you describe him."

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, giving her a shy smile. "He really is, heh."

Inko brushed a lock of Izuku's hair behind his ear and smiled up at him.

"Well, no one will ever be worthy enough for my boy, but I'd like to think that Shouto is close," Inko said with a wink.

"He's a good one, Mom," Izuku said with a smile.

Inko nodded. "I don't doubt you, dear," she said. "Now, do you want me to drop you off where you need to go?"

"No, no, that's okay! I can get there on my own," Izuku said. "Thanks, though, Mom."

"You're welcome, dear. Have a good evening!" Inko said, waving him off.

Izuku waved back and then took off in a sprint, heading straight back to the hospital, a wobbly smile on his face. He was too excited about the prospect of Shouto meeting his mother. What would his face be like? Would he be nervous? Shy?

Too cute. It was too cute to even think about.

Izuku ducked his head, biting back his grin, and hauled forward down the street until he reached the block he needed. He slowed to a walk when the hospital was in sight. He headed straight in on the left side where the receptionist sat and smiled as he bowed his head at her.

"Hi, uh. My partner came by to visit his mother and he invited me to join," Izuku said.

"What is the visitor's name?" the receptionist asked, grabbing a nearby clipboard.

"Todoroki Shouto," Izuku answered.

The receptionist paused, her eyes scanning over the clipboard. She pursed her lips and flipped a page, tilting her head to the side.

"No visitor has signed in by that name," she said.

Izuku's smile slipped from his face, feeling as if he had been sucker-punched. He blinked rapidly at her, straightening his back.

"Huh? Are you sure? He was here like... an hour ago," Izuku said. "He came in here to talk to you."

The receptionist's brows creased a bit and she shook her head.

"No one has come by in several hours, actually," she said. "The last person to check in for a visitor's pass was at 4pm."

Izuku's heart skipped a beat. That was nearly three hours ago.

"Uh... so, no one was outside?" Izuku asked. "Did you see then leave?"

The woman sighed. "Sorry, but no."

Izuku swallowed and nodded absently, his mind running a million miles a minute.

"Okay. Thanks," Izuku said, turning away from her and heading back out of the hospital. He rubbed the back of his neck as he wandered down the street.

Did he chicken out? Why didn't he tell him?

Izuku pulled out his phone, hoping to find a missed text message or call from his partner, but was disappointed to find nothing from him.

Geez, what on earth happened? Shouto didn't look completely confident but he thought that he would at least go inside and sit in the lobby or something.

Izuku tapped on Shouto's contact and hit call, putting the phone to his ear as he walked down the sidewalk, biting the inside of his cheek as he heard the phone begin to ring.

"C'mon, Sho. Pick up," Izuku mumbled into the line.

He walked a few more paces and then heard something rattling. He froze mid-step and looked down at the source.

On the ground was a phone, the screen slightly cracked but still working as Izuku's name flashed brightly.

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath, and his phone slipped from his grasp.

"No…" Izuku whispered, eyes blowing wide.

_"Shouto."_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

_"Hey, hey, slow down, little bro! You're going to trip if you keep going!"_

_"Hey, Shouto! Dinner is ready."_

_"Oh, man. Looks like you've got a fever. You gonna be okay?"_

_"Hey, don't cry! I'm okay! It's just a few bruises."_

_"Huh? No, Natsuo won't give it back. You'll have to ask him for your toy."_

_"Dad was mad today. Don't bother him."_

_"Hey, I got you a toy! But… don't tell dad, okay?"_

_"Hey, Shouto. Can you hear me?"_

_"Shouto."_

_"Hey."_

_"Hey…"_

**"Hey."**

Shouto was roused from his deep sleep by a harsh smack on his scarred cheek.

He inhaled sharply as the pain moved to his jaw and eye. His ears were ringing loudly and his head was throbbing.

What in the hell…?

Where…

Where was he?

Who was—

"Oi."

Shouto startled, his entire body stiffening. He turned his head back to face forward, the dim room swimming. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly for one moment and then opened them, staring straight into a horrifying face.

The killer was sitting backwards in a chair, facing Shouto with a bored expression on his marred face. He was covered in dead skin—even more deadened than Shouto's own burned face. And the man was also covered in scars and staples.

Staples…

"Yo," the man said, leaning his forearm on the back of the chair. "It's nice to finally meet you, I guess."

Shouto grit his teeth and moved to lunge forward to attack him, but his body didn't move. He looked down and found himself strapped to a chair, rendering him completely immobile.

"Ah, right. Forgot to mention those," the man said, leaning his cheek on his hand. "Sorry. Guess you'll have to deal with me for a bit, huh?"

Shouto gripped the arms of the chair he was strapped to, his anger growing by the second.

Damn it, damn it, _damn it!_

Izuku, Shouto thought, closing his eyes. _Izuku_.

* * *

When Izuku first met Shouto, he wasn't sure what to think of him.

He was new in this district, and had just moved into Kacchan and Kirishima's loft. And, of course, they were throwing a wild party the day after he moved in.

He volunteered to go get some more snacks, since it seemed to be running low, and one long grocery list later, he came back to find someone he hadn't seen before.

A man with red and white hair, and a mysterious scar covering half of his face. He was one of the most handsome people Izuku had ever met.

And he was drunk. _Very_ drunk.

After he had spilled beer and vomited all over himself, Izuku helped him out, trying to keep his blush at bay as he underdressed him and wiped him down. He hoped that he wasn't stepping too much out of bounds here, but no one else seemed to want to help him. In fact, the rest of the room just laughed when the man made a complete fool of himself.

Izuku remembered how bad he felt for Shouto that night.

But the next morning, all of those bad feelings went straight out the window when he discovered he was his new _partner._

It had been awkward and tense, and Shouto wouldn't even look him in the eye. Izuku now felt that Shouto had _hated_ him.

That changed, though, and after a bad chase that led to Izuku's hospitalization, something in their partnership changed. It was warmer. Shouto opened up to him more, telling Izuku about his past and his strained relationship with his Chiefly father.

More like bastard father, if Izuku had anything to say about it. But he held his tongue as best as he could when he was around the man.

But he protected Shouto from him as best as he possibly could, and it made Shouto smile. _Smile._ Something that was rare for the man to do. It gave Izuku butterflies in his stomach.

But now…

Izuku was barely able to keep himself from throwing up.

He glanced up from where he was leaning in the corner of the briefing room to see the rest of the precinct all sitting in their seats. Along with the normal detectives and police officers, there were several others from different precincts standing along the walls. The room was stuffy and crowded, and it was only making Izuku feel worse.

Standing at the front of the room was Aizawa.

"All right. Approximately two hours ago, Officer Todoroki Shouto was declared missing," Aizawa announced to the room. He was holding onto one chair for support, his other arm still in a cast and sling. "And it is believed that he was kidnapped by the fire killer."

The room collectively gasped, and there was soft chatter amongst them.

Izuku sighed and slumped back into his corner, feeling helpless.

When he found Shouto's cracked phone on the pavement, his instincts automatically kicked in, and the first person he ran to was Aizawa. Luckily, the Lieutenant was only a few steps away, with Izuku being just outside the hospital.

When he relayed the information to Aizawa, the man looked both stricken and furious at the same time.

Izuku, along with Yamada, insisted that he stay in the hospital. But Aizawa ignored them and walked over to put on his pants.

_"We need to meet with everyone as soon as possible,"_ Aizawa had said. _"I'm not going to let another one of my officers die."_

Izuku sighed, his hand shakily reaching up to cover his eyes. He couldn't imagine seeing Shouto end up like all of the others—burnt to a crisp, their wrists and feet bound and unable to escape. It was too painful to think about.

A few tears slipped down his cheeks without his permission and a hiccup made its way up his throat. He covered his mouth to stifle them, holding his breath to try to stop.

_This isn't the time for crying! _Izuku thought. _Shouto's life is in danger! Don't be such a coward!_

A hand touched his shoulder suddenly and he jumped, moving his head up to see Kirishima standing close and offering a small, strained smile. He squeezed Izuku's shoulder and nodded once at him.

"Kirishima…" Izuku whispered.

Then, on his other side, he felt an arm press against his. He turned to his other side to see Kacchan leaning against him, his hands stuffed inside of his pockets and a calm expression on his face as he kept his eyes facing front.

"K-Kacchan…" Izuku choked, his throat closing.

"Don't worry, Midoriya. We'll find him, okay?" Kirishima assured. "Even Katsuki thinks so. Right?"

Kacchan frowned harder and clicked his tongue. "That bastard won't die on us that easily."

His comment made Izuku smile somehow. He knew Kacchan well enough to know what each of his little remarks meant, so he was thankful for his friend's support.

Kirishima, however, grimaced. "Katsuki, that's a little…"

"Hah?! You got somethin' to say to me?"

Izuku suddenly let out a breathy laugh, the ache in his chest loosening its grip just a fraction. The stress was still weighing on him like a ton of brinks, but at least he had two other sets of shoulders that were also carrying the burden. It meant he wasn't alone.

"We already have groups of officers on it, but I advised that they proceed with caution," Aizawa said.

"And have they found anything?"

Izuku jumped at the sound of Chief Enji's voice booming from the opposite side of the room. His eyes were bloodshot and brows pulled down in a harsh scowl. The sight of him sent shivers down Izuku's spine.

Aizawa looked over at the Chief with a strained look on his face.

"They haven't found anything, yet," Aizawa said. "They're still looking around for any clues that might lead us to where the killer is holding Officer Todoroki."

The Chief frowned harshly, his arms folding across his chest and clenching. His entire body had gone rigid, and Izuku feared he was ready to snap at any moment.

"That's pathetic. Where are the detectives on this case? This precinct is a joke!" Enji snarled.

Aizawa blinked t him once, unphased. "We have to take precautions to make sure no one else is abducted. I'm doing what we can to keep everyone safe."

Enji looked downright furious. His cheeks reddened and his chest puffed up with rage. He stepped close to Aizawa and glared down at the man, and Yamada was right there, ready to step in between.

"I don't think you're competent enough to handle this, _Lieutenant,_" Enji glowered.

"Oi, can't you see he's still injured? Back off, will ya?" Yamada said.

"Yamada, it's okay," Aizawa said, patting his hand that rested on his shoulder. He turned back to Enji with calmness graced on his features. "If you want to get a team of your own ready, then please, do so. We understand how important this case is to you."

Enji frowned hard, his fists beginning to shake. He looked ready to punch Aizawa's lights out, but Izuku could see a different emotion swimming in those fierce eyes.

Fear.

Chief Enji was afraid.

"I advise, however, that you stay off of this case. You're too close to it," Aizawa said. "But if you want to be involved, I obviously can't stop you."

Enji swallowed and turned away. He took a deep breath and stared at the wall for a moment, seeming to collect himself, and then he nodded to his crew standing near the door. They quickly left the briefing room, Enji following in tow with a tight tension in his shoulders that Izuku hadn't seen before.

This entire case was getting insane.

Aizawa blinked tiredly at the doorway for a moment and then sighed, turning back to address the rest of the room.

"The Chief has emphasized that he wants all hands on deck for this case. He wants the killer to be caught this time," Aizawa said. "And we will do everything we can to bring him in."

Izuku squirmed. Something in his words didn't sit right. He tentatively raised his hand, Aizawa nodding to acknowledge him.

"And what about Sh—Todoroki?" Izuku asked, feeling the crease in his brow grow.

Aizawa's expression was grim and solemn. He took a deep breath, making his shoulders rise and fall.

"We will do what we can to find him," Aizawa said. He paused for a moment, his free hand gripping the podium as he looked down at the case file in front of him. "But… there is a possibility that we might not find him alive."

All of the comfort that Izuku had felt from his friends was suddenly ripped from him. He felt as if an ice-cold bucket of water had been dumped all over him. It was jarring, and his chest clenched painfully.

Izuku reached up to grab at his uniform, his mouth wobbling as tears formed in his eyes. He felt Kirishima and Kacchan push closer, but he didn't dare look up at them.

"Don't misunderstand," Aizawa said. "Officer Todoroki's safety is a priority. But our _main_ priority is catching this criminal and making sure he never puts another officer or person in danger again. Are we clear?"

Izuku looked up to see Aizawa looking right at him, and he realized that the question was being directed towards him. The other officers in the room were all waiting for an answer, as well, and Izuku sniffed softly and wiped his eyes, straightening his back to stand tall.

"Yes, sir," Izuku warbled.

Aizawa nodded to him and then addressed the rest of the precinct.

"Now, then. Let's catch this bastard."

* * *

Shouto squirmed against the restraints, his arms growing tired and his wrists rubbing themselves raw. He had to get out of there as soon as possible before that deranged psychopath would return.

The killer had left hours ago, claiming he had "errands" to run. Shouto didn't even want to think what that meant. He just had to get out, and fast. So, as soon as the killer disappeared beyond the obscure door, Shouto twisted in his seat and pulled on the restraints. He also called out for help at the top of his lungs, but the only response was his own voice echoing back to him. He had done this for hours so far, but he was starting to tire out.

When he realized his efforts were in vain, he sighed and sagged against the chair, his chest heaving and sweat sliding down his temples. He glanced around the darkened room for the millionth time, but he still couldn't figure out where he was exactly.

He groaned and tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. This was beginning to look hopeless. Was he really going to die here?

Suddenly, the one door in the room opened, and in walked the killer himself, holding a plastic convenient store bag.

"Ah, sorry. I had some things I needed to do," he said as he closed the door behind him. He sauntered up to Shouto and dragged a chair over, sitting in it backwards as per usual. He pulled out a bottle of water and a can of beer, holding out the water bottle towards Shouto. "Water?"

Shouto glared at him. Of course, he was thirsty, but he didn't trust whatever was in that bottle. After all, wasn't he here to be killed? Why was he being so nice?

"No? Hm," the killer said, looking at the water bottle. "I thought for sure you'd be thirsty by now."

Shouto remained silent and watched as the killer cracked open his single can of beer. He took a large gulp, some of the yellow liquid dribbling down his scarred neck. Shouto could see more staples along the deadened skin, and there were some faint tattoos here and there that looked like it was stabbed into his skin by a pen. All of him was painful to look at.

The killer's eyes suddenly locked onto Shouto's, catching him staring. Shouto swallowed and pushed his back against the chair, and the killer lowered the beer can to wipe his chin. He reached up with his free hand and fiddled with one of the staples, pushing it deep into his skin and then releasing it.

"Pretty gross, right?" he asked. "This happened to me years ago. Just never got it checked out, I guess."

Shouto swallowed, looking him up and down. "Those staples…" His voice suddenly trailed off, unsure of where he was going with the sentence.

But the man didn't seem to mind. He actually perked up a bit and sat up straighter in his seat.

"Oho, so you _do_ talk," the killer said. He fiddled with another staple. "Got them when I was hospitalized as a teenager. But I left before the doc's could treat me more."

Shouto frowned. "You just… left them in all this time?"

The killer shrugged. "Thought it'd be a cool way to change my image. Become someone else."

Now _that_ got Shouto's attention.

Maybe he could talk to this guy and stall him in his plans to kill him—get as much information out of him as he could to use as leverage against him. At least until the precinct could find him.

He could do this. He could stall.

"And… just who are you?" Shouto asked.

The man looked up at him and cocked his head to the side, giving Shouto the strangest smile.

"Ha, what a funny question," he said. He combed his fingers through his spiky black hair. "I have a name. One that I don't call myself anymore."

He leaned on the back of the chair and stared Shouto right in the eyes. It nearly gave him chills.

"I go by Dabi," was his answer.

Dabi. It wasn't someone he had heard of before.

But now Shouto had a name _and_ a face. And they were both terrifying.

"Okay. And you… know who I am?" Shouto asked.

Dabi leaned back, his hands holding onto the back of the chair to prevent him from plopping right off, and he tilted his head back to look at the ceiling.

"Ah, yeah. I guess you could say that," Dabi said.

Shouto's eye twitched. What the hell did that mean?

This guy wasn't being very forthright. All of his answers had been very vague.

Just who was this guy, anyway?

"How?" Shouto asked, feeling his patience withering by the second. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I know more than just your name, kid," Dabi said. He hunched forward and rested his arms on the chair's back again. "I know all about you, Todoroki Shouto."

Shouto's hands curled into fists. "Stop talking to me like you know me."

"Geez, so dramatic." Dabi rolled his eyes and leaned over to grab the water bottle. He handed it out to Shouto and blinked at him, his face unreadable. "You sure you don't want some? You might be here awhile."

Shouto felt his eyes widen a bit. "Awhile?" he repeated. "Aren't you going to burn me alive like the rest of your victims? Isn't that why you captured me in the first place?"

Dabi sighed. "You sound like a stuffy cop. How boring." He rested the water bottle down on the ground and grabbed his beer instead. "Nah, kid. I don't plan on killin' ya."

Shouto's nose flared. "You mean not yet?"

Dabi took another drink of his beer and then looked down at Shouto. He shook his head once.

"Nope. Don't plan on killin' you at all, actually," he said.

Shouto gaped at him like a fish. "What?" he said softly. "Why not? Why keep me alive?"

Dabi shrugged one shoulder. "Not my target."

"Not your _target?"_ Shouto spat. "But you _kidnapped_ me! How could I _not_ be your target?"

Dabi blinked at him, a weird smile pulling on his stapled lips. "Geez, you're slow. But I can't blame you for that. You've always been like that."

_What?_ Shouto wondered, still gaping at him.

"You ever think that I might be using you for bait?" Dabi asked, pulling Shouto from his thoughts.

"Bait?" Shouto echoed.

His mind scrambled, suddenly working on who in the world he could be trying to trap in this situation. Shouto didn't have many friends, except for Izuku. But Izuku would never hurt anyone badly enough for them to turn evil. The rest of the officers aren't close enough to want to chase after him if he were kidnapped, so all that was left was…

Shouto snapped his head up to look at Dabi, eyes wide.

"You're trying to kill my father," Shouto said. "You're trying to kill Chief Todoroki Enji."

Dabi's smile turned absolutely evil.

"Bingo."

* * *

"Ugh, this is ridiculous!"

"Katsuki…"

Izuku sighed as he searched the ground in front of the hospital for the hundredth time.

It had been hours since the precinct was released to search through the city for any clues. Izuku's first instinct was to go back to the scene of the crime, and of course, a small herd of other officers followed him. Everyone was on edge, so no one would let Izuku go alone.

"Are you sure this is where he was taken, Deku?" Uraraka asked, clasping her hands together.

Izuku glanced up to look at Uraraka and Iida, both standing close by as Kirishima and Kacchan ruffled through the nearby bushes.

"Yes," Izuku said sadly, looking down at the sidewalk. "I found his phone here."

"Could it have been planted?" Iida asked, putting a hand to his chin.

Izuku pulled his brows together and sighed, feeling anxiety spike through his entire body.

What if it was a trap? What if the killer _had_ planted his phone here?

No, no, that wouldn't make sense. The hospital was where Izuku left him when he went to go help his mother.

"No, this is where he was last," Izuku explained.

"You were with him?" Kirishima asked from the nearby bush.

"Well, yes. We were going to visit his—er, we were going to visit someone in the hospital," Izuku said, quickly correcting himself. "But I had to leave. And the last time I saw him, he was standing out here."

He kept gazing over the pavement, looking for any kind of clues that could possibly help. But there was nothing. No traces, footprints. Not even a sign of a struggle. The only clue that Izuku had was Shouto's cracked cellphone, which he still kept hidden in his pocket.

"Tch, this is so stupid!" Kacchan yelled, kicking a bush.

"Bakugou, please," Iida chastised.

"What did that bush ever do to you?" Uraraka fussed.

But Kacchan ignored them both, and he looked at Izuku instead with frustrated, red eyes. To anyone else, he would look pissed, but Izuku knew better. Kacchan was wearing a worried expression on his face.

"What else is there we can do, hah?! This bastard left nothing behind!" Kacchan yelled. "There weren't even any prints on the idiot's phone! This is hopeless!"

He kicked the bush again, nearly tearing the roots from the earth. Kirishima grabbed his arm and pulled him back, his brows pinching in concern, and Uraraka and Iida took a few tentative steps back.

Izuku put up his hands pleadingly towards Kacchan.

"It's not hopeless," Izuku said, trying to remain hopeful. "We just need to find something that can give us a lead."

"Yeah, like what, Deku?" Kacchan yelled. "What clue could there possibly be that isn't already out there right now?!"

Izuku opened and closed his mouth, trying to come up with an answer, but before he could voice any of his opinions, everyone's radio suddenly cut in with some static.

"Calling all officers in the area. We have a fire in a residential district. Foul play suspected," the dispatcher announced. "We need anyone who is in the area to help. Please respond, over."

Izuku's eyes widened. He snapped his head up to look at Kacchan, brows pinched, and his friend looked back at him with a baffled expression on his face. The other three looked just as confused, but Izuku knew that it couldn't have been a coincidence.

He picked up his radio.

"Midoriya here. Responding to fire, over."

* * *

Shouto curled his hands around the arms of the chair and gripped it hard as he stared up at Dabi with wide eyes and grit teeth.

"What the hell do you have against my father?" he asked.

_And what about my other family members?_ was left unsaid. Shouto felt uneasy about the prospect of his siblings and mother being in possible danger. Just the thought of it sent fear down his spine and it made him sick to his stomach.

Dabi smirked at him, looking a bit insane as his eyes widened comically.

"Oh, so much, Todoroki Shouto. So much," Dabi answered. "Who wouldn't want to kill that bastard? I'm surprised that you don't hate him as much as I do."

Shouto's jaw dropped, pausing for a moment to study him.

What in the world was his deal?

"I…" Shouto stuttered. "What… are you talking about?"

Dabi folded his arms across his chest. "Don't play dumb. High and mighty Enji tortured you for years." He paced to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall, looking up into the ceiling. "He called it training, but it was really abuse. Wasn't it?"

Shouto's limbs started to tremble. "I don't understand."

"Oh, and don't get me started on your other family members," Dabi continued, ignoring Shouto's confusion. "Your brother, Natsuo, did everything he could to stay out of Enji's line of sight. And Fuyumi, your sister, was the one to pick up the pieces when things completely fell apart."

"W-What—"

"And let's not forget about mother dearest," Dabi said, sneering down at him. "Quite the scar you got there. Must've been really painful, right?" His smile widened a bit. "Probably not as painful as when she was pushed out of the home forever."

Shouto swallowed and gripped the chair, leaning forward to try to pull himself from the bindings, but the ropes held fast and his back slapped against the back of the chair.

"How do you know so much?" Shouto rasped.

Dabi tilted his head, looking playful. "Oops. Did I… say too much?"

Suddenly, there was a soft ring coming from Dabi's long coat pocket. He reached in to grab his phone and he quickly answered it, putting the device up to his ear.

"What?" Dabi said.

"We're in position. Just need the go-ahead."

The speaker was loud enough for Shouto to hear, but he didn't recognize the voice at all.

Dabi smiled at the answer. "Do it."

"Got it."

Dabi hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. He stood to his feet and put his hands into his pockets.

"Well, guess we've got to prepare for some company," Dabi said. "It's possible that some of your little friends will come here, too."

Shouto quirked a brow, his chest feeling a bit cold with a sudden panic. Was Dabi about to hurt his friends?

"What do you mean? What have you done?" Shouto asked.

"Geez, calm down," Dabi said. He shrugged, looking back up to the ceiling. "And nothing really. Just sent a message. I'm ready to face Enji."

Shouto lowered his brows and glared. "What kind of message?"

Dabi smirked.

"Just a little… housewarming gift."

* * *

"What the hell is this?"

Izuku stared at the massive fire in front of him, the mansion totally consumed by the flames. It was enormous, and the heat was licking at their faces in the cold air.

"Whose house is this, Deku?" Uraraka asked, lifting up her arm to shield her eyes from the brightness.

Izuku shook his head. "I'm not sure who owns this—"

"It's mine."

All five officers turned to see Chief Enji standing nearby, his eyes set forward and his jaw clenched.

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath and stared back into the fire, watching as the house burned down to the ground.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

"Any clues?"

"Nothing, yet, Sir."

The smoke was still rising into the bright blue sky the next morning as crews sifted through the wreckage that once was Todoroki Enji's grand mansion. It had completely crumbled to the ground, reduced to nothing but a pile of ash and some framework.

The firefighters did all they could to put it out, but they mostly worked to contain the fire to keep it from spreading to the neighboring homes. Thus, the mansion burned completely down.

Izuku was sifting through the mess, as well, and was exhausted from working all throughout the night. His mother called a few times and practically begged him to go rest, but he refused. He couldn't sleep knowing that Shouto was still in danger.

"What the hell are we lookin' for?" Kacchan grumbled, moving to Izuku's side. He also stayed the entire night, the bags under his eyes a shining testament of his strange loyalty.

"I don't really know," Izuku answered, rubbing his eye absently. "But there has to be something here that could give us a lead."

"You really think there's something in all this mess, Midoriya?" Kirishima asked, saddling up next to them. He had a to-go container of coffees, and he passed one over to Izuku. Izuku hesitated at the offer, but he slowly took the coffee from him.

"There has to be," Izuku said, his voice almost a whisper. He stared down at the coffee lid, his stomach protesting out of both hunger and nausea. He couldn't drink this. Not when Shouto could be…

"Well, we can't be out here for too much longer. Lieutenant is saying we need a break," Kirishima said, handing Kacchan a coffee.

Izuku winced, brows furrowing. He couldn't rest. Not until Shouto was safe.

He opened up the lid for his coffee cup and took a big gulp, the piping hot coffee instantly burning his tongue and the roof of his mouth.

"Ah, M-Midoriya!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Oi, moron! You're gonna burn yourself!" Kacchan yelled.

Izuku sighed after he swallowed, his tongue stinging and then going numb. But he couldn't find that he cared. He had a job to do.

"Let me know if you guys find anything," Izuku said to them, and he turned away and started walking towards the rubble again.

"Ah, Midoriya…" Kirishima called, but his voice trailed off. For once, Izuku was thankful that he didn't follow. He wasn't sure how long he could keep his composure.

"Tch. Fine!" Kacchan yelled. "Let's keep searching."

"Huh? Oh, uh. O-Okay," Kirishima answered.

They all scattered and went back to work searching through the warm piles of ash. There were still some embers here and there, which was crazy to think about. The fire had to have been extremely hot for it to still burn nearly eight hours later.

Izuku stepped over the hot ash and then knelt down to a particularly large pile. He had been eyeing it for a few hours, but no one had been near it yet.

With a long sigh, he started pushing things out of the way. There had to be something here. There just _had _to be.

The pile in front of him started to blur, the edges of his vision swimming with tears. He kept pushing the pile around and looking in between each crevice, ignoring the tears that fell down his cheeks.

Shouto couldn't be dead. He _had_ to be alive! He just _had_ to!

He dug and dug until the tips of his fingers hurt, but even then, he kept going. He was desperate to find something, _anything!_

There was no way that Shouto could be dead. There was no way that he would die before Izuku got to tell him... got to tell him…

"Stop that, damn it!"

A hand floated into his vision and grabbed his wrist, making him stop in his efforts. He froze up, allowing Kacchan to pull him back from the pile. He sat back on his feet, sniffling pitifully as he stared down at the ground.

His heart was _aching._

"I love him, Kacchan," Izuku whimpered as he squeezed his eyes shut, the tears leaking out. He felt Kacchan flinch at his words, but Izuku didn't dare look up at his face. "I love him. And I've been such a coward. I couldn't even tell him! And now… he's been kidnapped."

"Oi."

"I have to find him! If I don't, then… then he could die!" Izuku blubbered.

"Deku, don't—"

"And I just… I left him all alone back at the hospital. That was so irresponsible!" Izuku wailed. He shut his eyes. "I can't let him die!"

"Stop it!"

Kacchan suddenly reached up and grabbed Izuku's collar, shaking him hard. Izuku forced his eyes up to look at him, tears running down his cheeks.

Kacchan had an intense look on his face, one that sent shivers down Izuku's spine.

"He's not gonna die, you idiot!" Kacchan yelled, giving him a little shake. "We're gonna find him before that bastard does anything to him, alright?! So stop your blubbering and wipe your face, for crying out loud!"

He released Izuku's collar, allowing him to sit back on his feet and wipe his face, getting soot all over his freckled cheeks. Kacchan rolled his eyes at the sight, calling him a moron, and then turned to sift through the large pile.

Izuku closed his eyes to try to wipe the endless tears that kept dribbling down his face, sobbing as his hands came back black and wet. He sighed, feeling like a dirty loser. Why didn't he keep better track of Shouto earlier? This never would've happened if he had just called for help. Why, damnit?! _Why?_

"Huh? What the hell?"

Izuku startled at Kacchan's voice, and he blinked the dirt out of his eyes to look down at him.

Kacchan was holding a silvery bag, barely scorched by the flames. Izuku had seen them before, but only on TV dramas.

"Is this…?" Kacchan started, looking uncertain.

Izuku nodded firmly, feeling his heart skyrocket inside of his chest.

"It's a fireproof pouch."

* * *

Shouto had been drifting in and out of sleep, unsure of the time of day. It was so dark in that room that he had completely lost track of how long he had been locked away. The only source of light in the room was the light bulb that hung over his head, but Dabi would turn it off when he left, leaving him in pitch darkness.

He knew that it had been at least a day, based on how long he had counted the seconds tick by. His stomach was grumbling, and his mouth was dry, but he didn't dare ask Dabi for food. There was no way he could drop his pride for that.

Speaking of Dabi…

He had left a while ago, saying he had to check on the delivery of his "housewarming gift" to Enji. He hadn't been back since.

Shouto squinted in the dark. He wondered if Dabi had already killed him. Did the bait work after all? Did he already come by trying to rescue Shouto, but got caught in Dabi's trap?

Or…

Or did his father finally abandon him? Leaving him to die…?

Shouto swallowed dryly, his throat cracked. He hung his head and heaved a soft sigh, feeling hopeless.

His gut squirmed with the possibility of never seeing Izuku again. He was the one light in his darkened life, and without him…

Well. Life might as well be meaningless.

Suddenly, the door jerked open, letting in a harsh flash of sunlight. Shouto squeezed his eyes shut at the brightness, feeling an instant headache coming on.

"Ah, so you're awake."

Dabi stepped inside and slammed the door shut behind him, flicking on the one light bulb above Shouto's head. Shouto blinked rapidly at the light above and focused on Dabi as he made his way over to the center of the room.

"I bet you're starving," Dabi said, grabbing the spare chair and plopping down in it. "Got some meat buns. And fruit juice. Want some?"

He held up the steaming buns in his grasp, the smell wafting into the air. Shouto blinked at it, his belly panging at just the smell. He wanted to eat so badly, but he had no idea what was even in that meat bun. What if Dabi had poisoned it?

He shook his head and turned away, gazing at a crack in the wall.

Dabi shrugged out of the corner of his eye. "Suit yourself," he said, and he brought the meat bun up to his lips and took a bite.

Shouto frowned at that and watched him eat. He wasn't a huge fan of meat buns. Too warm.

But these… looked delicious.

He finished off the meat bun and licked his fingers, humming to himself in satisfaction. Shouto briefly wondered if he had another one with him.

"Here. At least have somethin' to drink," Dabi said, leaning over to grab a water bottle from the bag. He cracked it open and then pulled out a straw from seemingly nowhere. He leaned forward and rested the bottle on the armrest, the straw pointing towards Shouto's cheek. "It's not poisoned or anything. You saw me open it just now, didn't ya?"

Shouto swallowed, his throat still way too dry. He didn't even have spit to swallow down to soothe the ache.

With a soft whine coming from his throat, he leaned down and sucked up some water. After just one swallow, Shouto realized just how parched he truly was. He gulped down the rest of the bottle in no time at all. His bladder would suffer for it later, but he didn't have the energy to care right now.

The empty water bottle clattered to the ground next to his bound feet. He stared at it longingly, hoping that it would magically reappear back up on the armrest with even more water inside.

"Ah, well that was satisfying, right?" Dabi said. "I could use a little gratitude, you know."

Shouto frowned at him, having no desire to say a word to him. He dipped his head and glanced down at the bag sitting next to Dabi's feet. It was a grocery bag—one that he would've gotten from a convenience store. How in the world did he buy that with a face like this?

"I've got money. Plus, they make masks, so…" Dabi said, twirling the white mask around in his grasp.

Shouto frowned. Obviously not money well earned.

Dabi leaned down to pull another small container out of the bag. He pulled off the lid, and a familiar scent filled Shouto's nose.

"I kinda figured you wouldn't like the meat buns. Too heavy right?" Dabi said, smirking. He pulled out a plastic fork and squished it inside the container. It wasn't steaming. "So, I also snagged some soba. It's nice an' cold, just like you like it."

Shouto's breath hitched, watching as Dabi pulled up some noodles with the fork and held them out towards him, encouraging Shouto to take a bite.

"Don't worry. These are all for you," Dabi said. "I won't gobble them up."

Shouto didn't speak. He _couldn't _speak. All he could do was look at the man in front of him in shock.

He took a deep breath, trying to process. And once he found the courage to speak, his voice came out quivering.

"How…" Shouto started. "How did you know I liked cold soba?"

Dabi jolted, eyes blinking at Shouto blankly. He leaned back in his chair and looked down at the soba, taking a long pause as he hummed.

"Lucky guess?" he said with a shrug, and he shoved the noodles into his mouth.

Shouto's hands curled into shaking fists. It wasn't the first time Dabi had mentioned knowing something about him. He even said he knew _everything_ about him. What was up with that?

"Cut the crap. You've been stalking me, right?" Shouto accused, trying to wriggle out of his binds. "That's how you know so much, isn't it? You've been learning more about me to get to my father, aren't you?!"

He felt violated, like every piece of his life had been exposed. Just how long had Dabi been following him around? Months? _Years?_

He suddenly wanted a shower. Or a chance to rip this guy's head off.

"Stalking you? Tch, as if," Dabi said around a cheek-full of noodles. He swallowed them down. "I've only been observing you for a week or two."

Shouto blinked at him, eyes widening. His hands were no longer shaking in anger. They were shaking for a different reason now.

"But… how is that possible?" Shouto asked. "How do you know so much about me then? Why do you know about my upbringing?"

Dabi paused for a moment, taking in Shouto's frazzled state. The silence only made him more flustered, though, and he pulled himself forward at the restraints, his chest heaving.

"Tell me the truth, you freak!" Shouto yelled.

Dabi remained calm, not buying into Shouto's anger. Instead, he gulped down more noodles—more of the noodles that he promised he wouldn't eat.

"My, my. Such anger," Dabi said. He looked up at Shouto through hooded eyes. "I suppose it does run in the family."

Shouto's eyes flashed. He jerked at the restraints.

"I am _not_ my father!" Shouto snarled.

Dabi chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I know _that._ But you have to admit that there are some similarities."

Shouto narrowed his eyes. "I don't!"

"Oh, but you do," Dabi said. "Like now, for instance. Lashing out when you're cornered."

"Shut up!" Shouto yelled.

"Or should we even rewind to just a day ago? You were too much of a coward to go and visit someone in the hospital," Dabi said, slouching back in his seat and fiddling with the plastic fork in his fingers. "Yes, Enji is a brave police officer, blah blah blah. But he, too, is a coward. Too afraid to even visit his mentally unstable _wife."_

Shouto squeezed the armrests in a vice-like grip and squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop it!"

"Heh. You're just too afraid to face your past, huh, Shouto? What is it? Can't handle seeing the person who hurt you the most?" Dabi said, pushing his buttons even more. "That hot water really must've been painful that day, right?"

Shouto froze, listening to his words.

"What was she making that day, anyway?" He drawled on, rotating the fork in between his fingers. "Coffee? Her favorite herbal tea to calm her nerves?"

Shouto stared at him with wide eyes, unblinking and unmoving.

"I haven't told anyone about that," he said softly.

Dabi stopped spinning the fork and he tilted his head at Shouto curiously.

"Hah?" he grumbled.

Shouto swallowed, his limbs beginning to shake. "In my whole life, I've only told one person about the night my mother burned me," he explained. "The only other people who know are… are my siblings."

Dabi didn't react—not at first, anyway. He sat still, his lazy, unfeeling eyes blinking at Shouto. After a long moment, he sighed heavily and slouched in his seat.

"Damn. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut, could I?" Dabi asked, looking a little pissed.

Shouto swallowed, his arms trembling almost violently on the armrests.

It couldn't be.

It really _couldn't be._

But…

"…Brother?" Shouto whimpered out, voice quivering. "Is… that you?"

Dabi swallowed down a groan and ran a hand down his scarred face. He leaned over on his knees, his hand pressing against his cheek.

Then, he smiled.

"How's it going, little bro?"

* * *

Izuku paced back and forth outside of the lab, his still-messy hands wringing together as he walked. He kept glancing in the window, watching the team of specialists carefully open the shiny pouch.

Slowly.

Other officers were also around—Aizawa and Yamada were nearby, waiting for the results.

And of course, Chief Enji was looking on with a pinched expression on his face.

The entire precinct was high-strung and on the alert. It was so tense that if anyone even sneezed too loudly, everyone would flinch.

Izuku bit his knuckle, tasting ash. He groaned and whirled around, grabbing his hair out of frustration and giving Kacchan an exasperated look.

"We don't have time for forensics to process this! We have to open it now!" Izuku said.

Kacchan was leaning his hip against his desk with his arms folded across his chest, his red eyes glaring into the glass window. Kirishima was standing by, tapping his fingers together worriedly.

"I'm sure they're trying to get it done as fast as possible," Kirishima said, trying for a smile.

"Tch. As if!" Kacchan barked, making some of the lab technicians flinch and glance up at the hotheaded police officer. "Their stupid rules make it so that they take forever. _Oi! Morons!"_

The techs jumped again, looking at Kacchan with fear in their eyes.

"Will you hurry up?! We ain't got all day!" Kacchan yelled. He pointed a threatening finger towards them. "And if Shitbrains dies, it'll be _your_ fault!"

The technicians exchanged wary looks before quickly moving back to the mysterious package left in the rubble.

Izuku sighed and moved to pace around the precinct more, his heart hammering away at his chest. Whatever was in that pouch would change the course of this case. If it's something left behind by the killer, then they could use it to find Shouto.

But… it could contain something more morbid. Like a note saying that Shouto was already dead. Or even… a body part. He's seen enough cop shows to know that deranged killers like to play around. It was beyond creepy and it was making his thoughts spiral out of control.

Izuku stopped in front of Shouto's desk, taking note of the lack of pictures or knickknacks on his desk. It was fairly plain, and it made Izuku feel guilty. He should've bought Shouto something to put on his desk. A mug, perhaps. Shouto liked tea, right?

Izuku sighed and sniffled, a tear falling down his cheek, picking up dirt along the way. This was miserable. Absolutely miserable.

He wiped his face and stood with his hands in fists, staring down at Shouto's desk.

"I swear, Shouto," Izuku whispered, "I will bring you back alive."

"Midoriya!"

Izuku whirled around to see Kirishima waving at him frantically, gesturing for him to come over. He wiped the remaining tears from his face and hurried back over to the labs.

Kendo was standing in front them, carefully holding a crinkled piece of paper in between gloved hands. She had a determined look on her face.

"Inside the pouch was a letter," she explained. She swallowed, a drop of sweat sliding from her forehead. "From the killer."

Izuku's heart leapt. So it _was_ left by the killer!

"Well, get on with it! What does it say, dammit?!" Kacchan shouted. He looked ready to move and snatch it from her grasp.

She frowned at him for a moment but quickly looked down at the letter.

"It says that Officer Todoroki is alive," she read.

Izuku let out a shaking breath, his hand reaching up to grab at his heart. He hunched over and struggled for breath, his eyes tearing up at the relief that Shouto was _still alive._

"But, the killer has him in a building somewhere," Kendo said, her eyes squinting. After reading a few lines, she gasped. "Th-There's an address!"

Izuku whipped his head up at that. The rest of the room gasped, elated.

"Then what are we waitin' for?! We can go get him right now!" Kirishima said, his smile wide.

"Yes, I agree!" Iida said from the other corner.

Izuku nodded. He was ready to go and get Shouto back.

"Wait," Kendo said, stopping them from getting too crazy. Her brows pinched as she squinted down at the letter, and the look on her face made Izuku's heart clench. "There's a condition."

"What the hell do you mean?" Kacchan asked gruffly.

Izuku sucked in a breath and held it there.

"Well… it says here that he won't release Officer Todoroki unless… unless Chief Enji comes alone," Kendo said.

The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at Enji. The Chief's stance didn't change—he kept his arms folded across his chest with his same scowl on his face. His eyes narrowed at the news, but other than that, he didn't change.

"It says here that if we deviate from this, then… then he'll kill Officer Todoroki," Kendo said with a quiver in her voice.

Izuku's gut twisted back up as his whole body tensed. He looked at Kacchan desperately, but the other officer didn't say a word. He only had a shocked look on his face.

"This is crazy…" Kirishima said softly. He glanced around the station at the other officers. "We can't agree to this, right? This is way too risky for—"

"I'll do it."

Chief Enji stepped forward, his arms falling to his sides as he huffed out a breath, making the entire precinct look at him like he had two heads. He looked furious, but determined to take on the task at hand. He stepped forward to look down at the paper in Kendo's hands.

"Where is the location?" he asked her.

Kendo blinked up at him, mouth agape. She swallowed and slowly turned the letter for him to see.

"Um… it's here, Sir," she said.

Chief Enji nodded, and then he took out his personal handgun, checking to make sure there was enough ammo.

"Fine, then," he said. "I will deal with the bastard myself."

Izuku's eyes widened, and his body lunged forward before he could even think.

"Wait, Chief!" Izuku called, stepping in front of Enji before he could leave. "I won't let you do this alone!"

Officers around him flinched, and some even began to whisper. But Izuku stood his ground, not backing down even for a second.

"And what do you suppose we do?" Chief Enji asked, eyes narrowing at Izuku like he was nothing but a pest.

Izuku frowned at him, brows scrunching together. He had a bad feeling that no matter the outcome, Shouto would end up hurt or killed. If the Chief went alone, then there was no way of properly rescuing Shouto.

"Since the killer only wants to meet with you, Chief, then you can be the one to speak to him," Izuku said. "And I'll look for Shouto and get him out. That way, you can move in to arrest the killer without any threats coming to Shouto."

Chief Enji frowned, pausing as he thought it over. He took a moment and then sighed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Fine. But you won't do anything without my knowledge of it," Chief Enji said.

Izuku nodded, bowing his head just a bit. "Of course, Sir. I will follow your orders."

"Like hell are you going alone!" Kacchan suddenly piped up.

Izuku whipped his head around. "Kacchan!"

The hotheaded officer stepped forward and poked Izuku in the chest and then sent a glare up at the Chief.

"Your shitty asses will blow it on your own. You'll need more than just one person watching your back," Kacchan said, directing most of his words to Enji.

Enji narrowed his eyes at him, and Izuku worked to try to get Kacchan to calm down before he got himself fired. Or punched.

"Midoriya and Backugou are right," Kirishima added. "We can't let you go in this alone. It's just not safe."

"He's got a point," Aizawa mentioned, shrugging his one shoulder that wasn't in a sling. "We don't know anything about this guy. He's probably going to try to kill you."

The Chief hesitated, taking a deep breath as his eyes traveled through all of the determined faces of the precinct. Izuku stood tall, trying to emphasize his seriousness in the matter and hoping Chief Enji would comply.

It was an agonizing moment of silence before Enji sighed and nearly rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said. "But if you all blow this, I'll have your heads."

Izuku's hands curled into fists and he nodded. He turned back to the other officers, his eyes landing on Kacchan.

"Let's go rescue him," Izuku said. "Let's save Shouto!"

* * *

Shouto could feel his shoulders quivering with each breath he took, but he was too distracted to even think about it.

His brother, the brother he thought was _dead_, was sitting right there.

Touya. _Touya_.

He had been dead for years.

Or at least… that's what Shouto was told.

What the hell was going on?!

"No, it's… Y-You…" Shouto stuttered, staring as Dabi—no, _Touya_—stood up from his chair and walked over to the side of the room, rifling through something. "You can't… You just _can't be_—"

"What? Your older brother?" Touya interrupted, pulling out some matches.

Shouto's jaw hung open, staring at his brother's back for a long time in silence. He swallowed thickly, gathering his thoughts together.

"How... are you alive?" Shouto asked, voice shaking. "I thought you died when I was a kid. Because of… Because…"

Touya glanced over his shoulder, smirking at Shouto with a knowing look.

"Because of a fire?" he finished.

Shouto snapped his mouth shut, his eyes going wide.

"But you survived," Shouto said.

"Obviously," Touya responded. He leaned over and grabbed a can of gasoline. "Geez, you're not too bright, are ya, kid?"

He walked over to the door of the room and plopped down the can and the matches, the liquid sloshing around violently. He stretched briefly, letting out a long sigh, and then came back to sit down on the chair in front of Shouto again and slumped, reaching for some cigarettes in his long jacket pocket.

"But… father said you died in the hospital," Shouto said. "After an accident."

Touya lit the cigarette and took a long drag, blowing smoke out between his lips. He ran his hand through his unruly black hair—which, now that Shouto thought about it, used to be _white_—and stared up at Shouto with sharp eyes.

"So that's what the old bastard told you, huh?" Touya said, letting out a soft chuckle. "Sure. I died that night. In a way."

Shouto leaned forward in his chair. "But, Touya-nii, you—"

"Don't you _dare_ call me that."

Shouto snapped his mouth shut, his back slowly moving to rest against the chair once again. Touya was staring at him with such hatred in his eyes that it sent a shiver down his spine.

Was this really the same person that would wake him up to go look at the snow outside?

"S-Sorry," Shouto found himself saying. "I… I just don't understand. What… happened to you?"

Touya's glare slowly faded, his hand twitching slightly as he puffed more of his cigarette.

"Well, I was bein' rebellious, just to piss off the old man," Touya explained. "After a particularly rough night of beatings, I then, of course, started a fire in his training room."

Touya smiled—a little creepily, but also a bit nostalgic—and looked down at his scarred hands and arms.

"I was trying to burn it down to the ground. Destroy all evidence that there ever was a training room," Touya continued. "But, of course, being a stupid teenager, I let the fire get out of control. About eighty percent of my body was covered in burns."

Shouto winced, taking note of the scars on his face and neck. It had to have been painful. The scar on Shouto's eye was just a touch of what Touya had been through.

Why was the world so cruel?

"And, of course, our father being perceptive to a fault, figured out what I was doing. Must've been all those years of detective work, ya know?" Touya said with a bitter laugh. "Anyways. I found out that he tried to conceal it so the media wouldn't find out the son of a glorified policeman was a _murderer._"

Touya laughed to himself again and leaned back to look up at the ceiling.

"His way of concealing it was telling the media that his eldest son died in a horrific fire," Touya said. "So once I was healed enough, I escaped the hospital."

"Y-You ran away?! Just like that?" Shouto asked. He strained against the binds around his wrists and wriggled his legs. "What about _us?!_ What about your _family?"_

"What _family?"_ Touya sneered. He sucked in on his cigarette and puffed out smoke right in Shouto's face, making him wince. "I have no family, anymore. That all disappeared the moment that bastard decided to consider me dead."

He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stood to his feet, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"All right. Enough chit-chat," Touya said. "I've gotta get going." He smiled, almost to himself. "Don't want to be late to my old man's funeral, right?"

Shouto's eyes widened. "Wait. You're meeting him?"

"Oh, yeah! I gave him the address and everything," Touya said. "Wanted him to come and meet me so I can end things myself."

Shouto shook his head. "You're really going to kill him?"

"Duh," Touya said, rolling his eyes. "He's gotta pay for his crimes, little bro."

"But we can deal with this peacefully," Shouto said, desperation in his voice. He struggled against his restraints. "If you kill him, you'll be arrested! You know he won't come alone!"

Touya rolled his eyes again and started for the door. "Don't really care," he said. He picked up the gasoline and matches and pulled open the door. "As long as he's dead, my life will be complete."

Shouto's wrists were starting to sting as the binds cut into his skin.

"Touya-nii! Don't go!" Shouto yelled.

He just got his brother back. He didn't want to lose him again.

Not like this.

"Touya-nii!" Shouto called again.

But, in response, Touya lifted his hand into the air and flipped him off.

"Told ya not to call me that, brat," Touya said.

He disappeared behind the door and it slammed shut behind him, leaving Shouto in absolute silence.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

* * *

"Are we ready?"

"Ready on this end."

"All clear to go."

"Inspecting one last area here and then we will give the all-clear."

Izuku kept listening to the radio chatter in his ear, his heart hammering away in his chest. He was moments away from saving his partner and ending this nightmare.

But the trouble was that he wasn't sure where exactly he needed to go.

His eyes kept glancing at the surrounding buildings, his teeth biting into his lip. The address that the killer left had led them to the docs near the edge of the city. It was empty at this time of night. Only a few boats were tied to the docks.

The problem was that there were several cargo containers and other buildings in the area that encompassed the area.

Shouto could be anywhere.

Izuku sighed, slumping down against the wall that he was hiding behind. In any other normal circumstance, this should've been a really exciting mission. They all got to wear their stealth uniforms, dressed in all black.

But it just wasn't the same. Not when the situation was about rescuing someone they _knew._

"Hey, hey, none of that, now."

He heard some shuffling, and then Kirishima had plopped down beside him, his body pressing close to Izuku's. He nudged Izuku's knee with his own and ducked his head to try to catch Izuku's eyes.

"We'll get him back. Don't you worry," Kirishima said.

Izuku sighed and ran his hand through his sweaty hair, his curls limp.

"I want to believe that, Kirishima," he said. "But what if…"

Izuku inhaled sharply as his eyes suddenly watered. No, he couldn't do this now. He had a job to do.

But he just couldn't keep it in. He blamed his mother for his overly sensitive demeanor.

"Deku, calm down. It'll be okay!" Uraraka plopped down on the other side of him and pushed against his shoulder. "From what you've told me about him, Todoroki's tough! He'll get out of this just fine."

"Indeed! You have nothing to fret over!" Iida said, chopping his hands in the air. "The killer's note said that he would give Todoroki over in exchange for Chief Todoroki."

While Izuku knew that Iida was right, he still felt his stomach clench. He wanted to smile, but his heart was too tight in his chest. It was too difficult to try to fake it today—not when his nerves were as shot as they were.

"I want to believe that. Really, I do. But what if the killer lied?" Izuku asked, looking to the three of them. "What if he decides to kill Sho—Todoroki anyway? What if he's _already_ killed him, and we're doing all of this for no reason?"

"Oi, quit with that shit, would ya?"

Kacchan was leaning against the half wall, his elbows resting on the stone surface. His voice and words seemed harsh, but his expression was just as tightly wound as Izuku was.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima chastised. "C'mon, man, don't be like—"

"Oh, shut it. You're just as nervous as all of us here," Kacchan said, making Kirishima wince. Kacchan gazed back out towards the docks. "We can't keep thinkin' about the _what-if's_."

Izuku's eyes widened, clarity suddenly washing over him like a warm wave.

"Bakugou, you're being too harsh!" Uraraka chastised.

"No, no. He's right," Izuku said, pulling himself up. He gazed out at the docks and watched carefully. There were no signs of movement, but he couldn't give up. Not just yet. "Hypotheticals are just that. If we let it control us, then we'll get bogged down too quickly." He looked to Kacchan and nodded to him, and he received a nod back in return. "Let's just focus on the mission at hand."

The others joined him in observing beyond the wall, all of them listening to their earpieces. The other officers were still scouting the area, trying to be as discreet as possible.

"All clear on this end."

"We're secure here. Have eyes down on this street."

Aizawa's voice came next. "Okay. Chief, you are clear to enter the premises."

Izuku and his friends all took a collective breath and held it, watching as Chief Enji's car pulled down the road and stopped at the edge of the street. It was hard to see from the distance, but Izuku could make out the man's broad shoulders as he got out of the driver's seat.

"Don't look in any directions of our locations. We don't want to stir suspicion."

"Do you take me for a fool? I know what to do here," Enji grumbled. "Now cut the chatter. I'm working."

Kacchan muttered something under his breath, earning an elbow in his side from Kirishima.

Izuku wanted to roll his eyes, too, but he took a deep breath to keep his calm. He grabbed his binoculars from his bag and looked through them, spotting the Chief waiting with his arms folded across his chest. It was silent for a few tense moments—so quiet that Izuku could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

"What the hell is takin' this bastard so long?" Kacchan growled.

"It hasn't been that long, Bakugou," Uraraka said, peering around the docks.

Izuku kept searching, waiting.

Was this really just a setup?

Was Shouto even here?

"We've got movement coming from the east."

Izuku's heart did a strange jolt, and he quickly moved his binoculars a little to the right, and his breath caught in his throat.

There was a figure, tall and looming, sauntering towards Enji from the edge of the docks. He was walking in the dark shadows, so it was impossible to see his face.

"It's him," Izuku whispered. "It's the killer."

"Ahh, what's he look like?!" Kirishima asked.

"It's too dark to tell," Iida said.

"Damn it," Kacchan seethed. "I want to rip him a new one!"

"Dude, calm down," Kirishima said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Izuku leaned over the edge and scanned the buildings where the figure slithered from. There wasn't a building that stuck out to him, though. No doors left open, no lights. Nothing.

"Approaching from your right, Chief."

"Got it."

"He's alone. Officer Todoroki is not with him."

"Damn," Kacchan cursed.

Izuku swallowed. His stomach was swirling with nerves.

Chief Enji straightened his back and turned towards the figure, and the man walked up to him and stopped just a few steps away, keeping a respectable distance.

"Ah, nice to meet you, I guess, Chief Todoroki."

Izuku felt a tingle rush down his spine. The voice sounded so _eerie_.

"Have we met before?" Enji asked the man.

"Ha. That's a funny question," the killer responded. "I guess, yes… and no."

Enji didn't give him a response, which made Izuku feel anxious. What about Shouto? Someone get to Shouto, for crying out loud!

"Well. We're not here to chit-chat, right? You're here for your son."

Izuku furrowed his brows. The killer was the one to bring it up?

Why… would he do that?

"I am." Enji stood straighter. "Hand him over."

The killer gave a very audible sigh. "Well, I _would,_ but I don't think you held up on your end of the bargain."

Izuku lowered his binoculars. His friends next to him froze and held their breath.

"Can… Can he see us?" Kirishima whispered.

"I… I'm not sure," Iida said.

"I don't know what you mean," Enji said. In the distance, Izuku could see him lifting up his arms. "I don't have any weapons. I'm the only one here."

"Ah, but that's where you're lying," the killer said. "You brought an entire task force with you, didn't you?"

"Shit," Kacchan cursed, bending his knees slightly to hide his body behind the wall. "He's figured it out."

"What do we do now?" Uraraka asked, panic obvious in her voice.

Izuku bit his lip and raised the binoculars again, spotting both Enji and the killer still standing in the same spot.

"Well, since you broke the rule, I guess I won't keep my end of the bargain," the killer said. He pulled out something from his pocket and lifted it to his ear. "Do it."

"_Do it?_ Do _what?"_ Uraraka asked.

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but before he could even get a word out, a bright flash sparked from the corner of the docks. He lowered the binoculars again and watched as a giant fireball lifted up into the sky from one of the buildings.

The binoculars fell from his grasp as he sucked in a sharp breath.

Shouto.

Was Shouto… there? In that building?

No.

That… That couldn't be true.

Could it?

Izuku's heart raced.

He had to get out there.

He had to rescue him before he was burnt to a crisp.

His legs suddenly started to move, and he went from a walk to a run, and then into a sprint.

"Huh?! Deku, where are you going?!"

"Midoriya!"

"Damn it, you idiot! Get back here!"

But Izuku didn't listen.

Instead, he full-on sprinted towards the fiery building in the distance.

* * *

"Damn it!"

Shouto struggled against the restraints that bound him against the metal chair. His wrists were nearly worn raw from pulling so much against them, but he had to try _something_. If he didn't try to stop Touya, then he was going to do something that could completely change their lives forever.

As much as Shouto hated his father, he didn't want things to go down this way. Of all the people to end Enji's life, Touya had the right to do it.

But he couldn't let it happen. Not like this.

He pulled harder, making the skin on his wrist bleed from the effort. He grit his teeth and tried again, this time using his entire body to try to shake himself free. Or, at least try to knock over his chair so he could wriggle out of it somehow.

But even the chair was fastened to the ground, making it immobile.

"Ugh!" Shouto heaved out a breath, his chest moving up and down rapidly as he panted. He hung his head and stared at the ground beneath him.

How did things end up this way? How could he have missed so many signs that his brother was still alive?

He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, trying to think back to that horrible day that his father came home and told him and his siblings the news.

Enji had been stoic about the ordeal. Just walked in and silently said that Touya wasn't going to make it.

Shouto remembered how much his siblings cried, and how he didn't really understand what had happened.

He hated that he was too small, too young to fully realize the impact of his father's blunt words that day.

"Touya!" Shouto shouted at the top of his lungs. "Touya, come back! Let's talk this over!"

His shouts were met with an eerie silence, but he tried again. And again. And once last time until he thought his voice would break.

And each and every time, he was met with the same resounding silence that seemed to mock him.

Shouto sighed and hunched forward, his hands gripping the armrests. His limbs began to shake.

If Touya was going after his father, then it was likely that Enji wouldn't be alone. What would happen then? Would they kill each other?

Damn this!

Damn this entire situation!

"Touya!" Shouto yelled. "You don't have to do this, Touya! Please!"

Suddenly, a loud explosion coming from the outside made him jump, and the building shook, causing some debris to fall to the ground.

Shouto frantically looked around.

What was that?

"Hey! Touya! What's going on?!"

No response.

Shouto's chest tightened, his arms trembling.

"Touya! Answer me!"

But once again, there was no response.

* * *

Izuku huffed as he skidded around the corner, the flames of the building quickly coming into view. He was close now, and he tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but he found it near impossible with all the chatter in his ear.

"Shit! What the hell?"

"Chief, abort the operation! There's something going on!"

Chief Enji snarled, "I'm not leaving without my son!"

"You're not going anywhere, Todoroki Enji!"

Izuku grit his teeth. What was the killer planning _now?_

"Damn it, the bastard's got a gun!"

"Can anyone get a shot on him?"

"Negative, he's too close to the Chief!"

Great. Now the killer had both the Chief _and_ Shouto hostage. Would he just kill them both? What was his end game here?

Izuku shook his head and ran faster. He didn't have time to think about this. He had to get to that building and dig Shouto out before the flames could consume him.

He finally managed to make it to the burning building, skidding to a stop in front of it.

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath.

The entire building was engulfed by flames.

"Shouto…"

He fell to his knees and stared as the roof of the building collapsed, making the whole thing cave in and turn into one heap of rising flames.

He was too late.

Shouto was gone.

He was too damn late.

Tears fell down his cheeks, and he slapped a hand over his chest to try to make the pain go away. But there was nothing that could be said or done to ease the pain.

Izuku fell forward onto his hands, his fingers scraping into the dirt.

"Damn it… I'm sorry," he whimpered. He closed his eyes "Shouto… I'm so sorry… _Shouto."_

**"****Hey!"**

Izuku's eyes snapped open. What was that?

He leaned up from the ground and glanced around, wondering if one of his friends had chased after him. But the docks were empty.

Izuku's shoulders slumped. He must've been hearing things.

"**Hey! Touya, come back**!"

Izuku gasped and whirled around, eyes widening as he noticed a red cargo container sitting just across the way from the burning building.

No way, Izuku thought. Could it…?

"**Touya, answer me!**"

He lifted himself from the ground and slowly made his way over to the container. As he got closer to the hatchway, he heard rustling and movement coming from inside.

"**Izuku...**"

Izuku's heart lurched inside of his chest, and he reached down to grab onto the latch. He threw it open and barged inside.

* * *

Shouto was exhausted from yelling so much.

It was over. He could be trapped here for the rest of his life.

He closed his eyes, feeling them stinging behind his eyelids.

He never even got to speak with Izuku one last time.

Oh, man, Shouto thought. He is going to be so pissed at me for leaving him like this.

"Ha…" Shouto breathed out, disappointment flooding his entire body.

He wanted to see him again. Would he even get that chance? Maybe just before he dies of starvation, he would hallucinate and see him again.

"Izuku…" he said aloud, a tear streaking down his cheek.

He would give anything to see him one last time.

"**Shouto?**!"

Shouto gasped and snapped his head up when he heard the creaking of the door opening back up, and in walked the face he had longed to see.

Was he hallucinating?

He had to be. There was no way Izuku was actually here.

Izuku had tears running down his cheeks as the realization hit him, and then, he was running forward towards him.

"Shouto!" he yelled.

He threw his arms around Shouto's shoulders and squeezed tightly, making Shouto gasp as he felt the other man's warmth surrounding him.

"Shouto, you're all right!" Izuku sobbed into his ear. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

Shouto blinked for a moment, unable to say a word.

He could actually feel Izuku's breath tickling his ear. He could feel Izuku's heart hammering away against his chest. He could smell his shampoo…

Strawberries.

Izuku smelled like strawberries.

"Izuku?" he muttered, his voice almost not coming out.

Izuku leaned back and cupped Shouto's cheeks, his smile wobbly and cheeks wet.

"I'm so relieved," Izuku said. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Shouto's. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I-Izuku…" Shouto stuttered, his heart picking up. He tried to reach up and wrap his arms around his neck, but his arms were still locked in place. "Um… Izuku, can you…?"

Izuku blinked at him and then looked down at the bindings, his eyes widening.

"Oh, crap! Yeah, hang on!" Izuku said, kneeling down to the floor. He tugged out a small knife from his belt and started cutting away at the binds. "Geez, Shouto, you're bleeding!"

"Don't worry about it. It's not that bad," Shouto said. Once his limbs were free, he stood to his feet and rubbed his wrists. "Where are Touya and my father?"

Izuku furrowed his brows. "Touya?"

Shouto winced and shook his head. "I mean the killer. I'll explain everything else later."

Izuku still looked concerned or confused—Shouto wasn't sure which.

"Um. I think he took the Chief hostage. He was dragging him towards the edge of the docks the last I saw," Izuku said.

"Shit," Shouto cursed. "We've got to stop him."

Shouto hurried towards the door, his legs feeling like jelly from lack of use. He used the wall for support to catch his breath.

"Shouto!" Izuku called, hurrying by his side. "We need to get you to a hospital! Let the rest of us go after the Chief."

Shouto shook his head. "No, I have to go there myself," he said. "If I don't go, then he'll kill him."

"Don't worry, Shouto. We'll get your father to safety," Izuku said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not my father I'm worried about. It's Touya," Shouto said. He winced at Izuku's confused look, and he shut his eyes for a moment to take a breath. "Izuku... the killer. He's… He's my big brother." He looked at Izuku desperately. "He's my brother, Touya."

Izuku's eyes widened, a breath sucking in between his teeth.

"W-What?" Izuku asked, shocked.

Shouto put a hand on his shoulder. "Izuku, I promise that I'll explain everything later, but right now, I really need to get to him before the officers kill him." He looked Izuku in the eyes, now pressing both hands to Izuku's shoulders. "Please. Can you point me in the direction of where they went?"

Izuku hesitated, looking conflicted at the choices laid in front of him. Shouto squeezed his shoulders, hoping his desperation would come across.

Finally, Izuku released a breath and nodded. "I can help you find them. But I _am_ coming with you."

"Okay," Shouto said with a nod. "Just let me take the lead. He may be my brother, but he's still out of his mind."

They walked out of the small room together, Shouto glancing around at his surroundings. And the first thing he noticed was the large, burning building in front of him.

"What…?" he started to ask, but he shook his head. "Nevermind. Which way?"

Izuku pointed towards the waters. "That way."

Shouto nodded, and then, they took off. Izuku led the way towards the edge of the docks, both of them keeping their ears out for talking.

"How in the world did he drag me all the way here?" Shouto wondered aloud. "He knocked me out at the hospital. That's miles away!"

Izuku shook his head. "I don't think he's working alone."

Shouto winced. Who else does he have wrapped up in all of this nonsense?

"Ah! I think they're headed towards the pier," Izuku said, his hand going up to his ear.

Shouto stared at him, bewildered. "What?"

"The Chief still has his earpiece in," Izuku said, tapping the device in his ear. He frowned and gave Shouto a worried look. "It sounds like Aizawa is about to give the order for the officers to move in."

Shouto grit his teeth. "Damn it!"

He picked up his speed, heading straight where Izuku had told him he would be. And as they got closer to the pier, Shouto could make out a few figures standing in the distance.

"It looks like he's going to try to escape by boat!" Izuku said.

"Not without killing my father first," Shouto said. "We have to stop him before that happens."

They came to a stop and ducked behind a stack of fishing gear, both of them peering around the edges and trying to catch their breath.

"Do you have a plan?" Izuku asked in between pants.

Shouto shook his head. "I want to end things peacefully. But I'm not sure if that's possible." He gazed down at the ground. "I don't understand it myself. They're both insane bastards, but… I don't want anyone getting hurt." He looked up at Izuku with shiny eyes. "Is that weird?"

Izuku shook his head and put his hand on Shouto's shoulder. "They're your family. It's understandable that you care about them," he said. "No matter how crazy they are."

Shouto managed a small smile and reached up to place his hand over Izuku's He gave him a firm nod in thanks, and Izuku gave a nod of his own.

"Okay, dear Enji. Here is where we part ways."

Shouto and Izuku snapped their heads to see Touya pointing his gun towards Enji's chest.

"You really think you can get away from this so easily?" Enji asked him. "You don't know the first thing about our operation. We will hunt you down and find you where you least expect it."

"On the contrary, I know a lot about ye olde police force, old man," Touya sneered. "I mean, c'mon. How do you think I've evaded you idiots for so long?"

Shouto frowned. He didn't want to startle Touya. He was already looking a bit manic, having the man who tormented the family for years right where he wanted him. It was only a matter of time before Touya pulled that trigger.

"What should we do here?" Izuku asked, looking concerned. His hand was up by his ear. "They're surrounding the area. It's only a matter of time."

Shouto swallowed, his face pulling into a grimace. He had to do it calmly or everything would spiral out of control in a heartbeat.

Calmly. Just do it calmly.

"Stay here," Shouto told Izuku as he stood to his feet.

"Huh?!" Izuku nearly shouted. "Shouto! What are you _doing?!"_

Shouto put up his hands and walked slowly towards them, trying to catch his brother's eyes. But his blue eyes were too focused on their father, which Shouto understood.

"Alright, old man. It's time to die," Touya said. "Say your last—"

"Stop!" Shouto called, making them both jump.

Touya's eyes widened as he locked them with Shouto, the gun in his grasp starting to tremble.

Enji slowly turned his head to look at him. "Shouto."

Shouto walked up to them, keeping his hands up in the air and his eyes on his brother.

"Touya, you don't have to do this," Shouto said. "We can find another way."

Enji made a strangled sound, his eyes flitting back to Touya.

"Touya?" he echoed.

Touya frowned, the gun in his grasp now shaking violently.

"I told you not to call me that!" Touya yelled.

Shouto took a step back as Touya now pointed the gun at him.

"I know you're angry. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be," Shouto said. "But this isn't the way. We can find a new way."

Touya kept the glare on his face, his gun still pointed at Shouto's head.

"And what way would that be, huh? A lifetime in jail?" Touya asked.

"It's the right thing to do," Shouto said calmly.

"Tch. What do you know about doing right?" Touya asked. He trained his gun on Enji again. "You followed in this bastard's footsteps."

"No! I didn't!" Shouto said, taking another step forward. "Well, I mean… maybe at first I did. But that's not my mission now."

He thought of Izuku, and how he'd been by his side through the good and the bad. Izuku, who would take a bullet for him, or push him out of the way of burning buildings for him.

Izuku, the one he wanted to be the best for.

"You are completely surrounded! Drop the weapon and surrender!"

Suddenly, lights shined down on them, and swat teams and other officers approached them, stopping a little ways away from them. Izuku was one of them, looking on nervously and fidgeting in place. He hadn't drawn his weapon like the others.

Shouto looked back to Touya, getting desperate.

"Let's resolve this. The right way," Shouto said, holding out his hand and gesturing towards the gun in Touya's. "I'll defend you every second of the way. I'll explain everything. I'll tell them how horrible your childhood was to make you become this way."

Touya hesitated, watching Shouto's every move. His eyes glanced up at the cops that surrounded the area. Shouto knew that his brother was trying to formulate an escape plan, but it was obvious that he was outnumbered and outgunned. There was no way he could escape this.

"Touya," Shouto said softly, grabbing his attention. "I will do what I can to protect you. But _please,"_ Shouto begged, "I don't want to lose you again. I just barely got to know you the first time."

Touya frowned harshly, his eyes narrowing. He took a moment to just breathe, and then he looked at Shouto in the eyes, and the sight made Shouto jump. The manic expression was gone, and all that was left was his brother. The brother who helped him build snowmen, the brother that healed his wounds, the brother that stood up for his family.

Touya's grip on the gun loosened ever so slightly, and Shouto's eyes shined. He stepped forward to try to grab it.

But that was an instant mistake.

"Shouto, watch out!"

Shouto heard Izuku's voice call out to him, and he turned around to see a few officers now standing in front of Enji, their weapons cocked and aiming towards Touya.

Shouto glanced back towards his brother, who was staring at the officers with a blank look on his face.

"Fire!" one cop yelled.

Shouto sucked in a breath.

Touya.

_"__Hey, Touya-nii?"_

_"__Hm?"_

_"__Are you sure you don't want to be a police officer?"_

_"__Oh, yeah. I'm very sure. It's not for me, you know?"_

_"__Oh? Why is that?"_

_"__Because I want to be free."_

_"__Oh. Then… is it okay if I want to be a police officer?"_

_"__Hm. I guess it depends. Why do you want to be a cop, Sho?"_

_Shouto looked up at his brother, his hand reaching up to touch the bandage on Touya's cheek._

_"__I want to protect my family!"_

_Touya paused, and then he smiled sadly, wrapping his arms around Shouto._

_"__I can't wait for that to happen, little bro."_

Shouto stepped in front of Touya and spread out his arms.

"Don't!" Shouto yelled desperately. He had to get through to them somehow. "Please! He's my bro—"

But it was too late.

A few gunshots went off.

Shouto stumbled back a step, feeling pain blooming from his side and shoulder.

He grit his teeth and fell to the ground, unable to move from the pain.

"What the hell?!"

"Officer Todoroki is down! Call an ambulance!"

"He just stepped in front of us, I don't know what happened!"

Shouto turned his head to look up at Touya, their eyes locking. Touya was staring down at him with a look of shock on his face. He looked suddenly torn.

"After him!" one cop shouted.

Touya jumped, his expression changing back to his manic state.

"Shit," he whispered, turning around and trying to flee.

Shouto heard footsteps as they chased him down the pier, and then there was a thud as people collapsed to the ground.

"We got him!" one shouted.

Shouto hissed, closing his eyes.

Damn it. He didn't want things to be this way.

"Shouto!"

Shouto opened his eyes and saw Izuku now kneeling by his side. His scarred hand cupped his cheek, eyes wet and worried.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Izuku said. "You were shot, but it looks like nothing vital was hit."

Shouto tried to nod, but his body was suddenly starting to feel weak. His heart was hammering away inside of his chest and it was hard to breathe.

"Shit, he's going into shock!" Izuku yelled out.

His surroundings started to get fuzzy.

"Iz'ku…" Shouto slurred. His tongue felt too big for his mouth.

He felt Izuku's hand rub over his forehead. "It's okay. Just focus on breathing, okay? I'll take care of the rest."

Shouto tried to nod, but he wasn't sure if his body moved at all.

And then, his vision faded to black.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

_"__Hey, Sho! You awake? Shou-to!"_

_Shouto leaned up from his pillow, wiping the tears that fell from his right eye. His left eye was still in the bandages from the accident, but he could still feel it soaking up from his tears. He wanted to see his mother. More than anything, he wanted to see her._

_He heard more soft knocking at his bedroom door._

_"__Sho?"_

_Ah, it was Touya. Wasn't it late? He would get in trouble if he were caught…_

_"__C'mon, little bro. Open up. The old man's not here."_

_Shouto sniffled and wiped off the excess tears. He jumped down from his bed and padded over to the door, opening it slowly to see Touya standing in front of his door. His face was crystal clear—blue eyes and white scrunched up brows. He had a small smile on his face, but even Shouto could tell that it looked funny._

_"__Hey, baby bro. You doin' okay?" Touya asked._

_Shouto's lips trembled and a tear slipped down his cheek. The smile slipped from Touya's face and he quickly stepped inside Shouto's bedroom, picking him up and kicking the door closed behind them as he carrying Shouto back over to his bed. They sat down together, Touya holding Shouto in his lap._

_"__Hey, hey, don't cry, Shouto," Touya said, swaying him side to side. "It's okay. It'll be okay."_

_Shouto whimpered and latched onto Touya's shirt. "I want Mom! I want to see her!"_

_Touya frowned, and he frowned _hard._ "I know, Sho. I do, too." He swallowed, brows creasing. "But she hurt you, Sho. Aren't you… scared?"_

_Shouto looked up at Touya and shook his head wildly. "No! She didn't mean to hurt me, Touya!"_

_"__Sho…" Touya whispered._

_"__It was _him," _Shouto said vehemently. "He caused Mom to be like that!" He wiped his face, his arm catching on his bandage and pulling on it a bit, making the searing burn flash hot with pain. "Ow!"_

_"__Whoa, easy!" Touya said, pulling down Shouto's arms. He adjusted the bandage on his head to cover the burns back up. "Here, use this. You've got snot everywhere."_

_Touya handed him some tissues, to which Shouto took graciously and wiped his nose. His little body was still racked with hiccups from his sobs, but he managed to stop the tears from flowing. He was just so angry that he couldn't help himself._

_He hated that man. He hated that man with every inch of his being._

_"__There. That's better, right?" Touya asked._

_Shouto shook his head. "No. It's not better."_

_Touya swallowed, reaching up to cup Shouto's cheek. He wiped away one more stray tear and looked into his eyes._

_Beep_

_"__What can I do, Sho?" Touya asked. "What can I do to make things better?"_

_Shouto thought about for a moment. He wanted to see his Mom more than anything, but he's already asked and the answer has always been a definite no. He's given up asking for it at this point. If he could ask for anything, it would be that his old man would rot in jail for what he had done to their family. That man didn't deserve to be a cop._

_"__I want him to get what he deserves," Shouto said as he looked up at his brother. "I want him to pay for what he did to us. What he did to Mom."_

_Beep_

_Touya's face suddenly changed, his eyes narrowing in a way that made Shouto shiver._

_"__Okay, Shouto," Touya said, his lips curling up into a small smile. "I'll see what I can do."_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep…_

Beep…

Beep…

The steady sound of beeping was the first thing Shouto heard as he slowly awoke. His eyes fluttered open to see stark white walls, the scent of antiseptic filling his nose. He blinked a few times, eyes still blurry.

What in the world? Where was he?

Beep…

His ears perked up at the sound to his left. He tilted his head to the side a bit to look up to see a monitor tracking his heart rate and blood pressure.

Crap. The hospital. Why was he here this time?

He squinted as he gazed around the room, trying to get his bearings on anything that would help him to remember—

Suddenly, a soft breath tickled Shouto's ear. He finally started to reconnect to the rest of his body and he felt something warm surrounding his right side. He glanced down to see dark hair filling his sight, along with tanned skin and beautiful freckles.

And the faint smell of… strawberries.

Right…

Izuku smelled like strawberries.

"I-Iz…"

Shouto's throat felt dry, like he was trying to swallow sand. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and tried to reach across his body to touch him, but his arm stopped short. He glanced over to see that his left arm was in a sling.

"Wha…?" Shouto blinked at it, still not able to place exactly what had happened to him.

"Mmm?"

Izuku began to stir, his hands coming up to rub the sleep from his eyes. He sat up from the bed and blinked down at Shouto, making eye contact with him. He must've still been half asleep, because he said nothing as he stared down at Shouto.

There was a beat of silence, and then recognition sparkled in Izuku's eyes.

"Sh-Sh-Shouto!" Izuku whimpered.

Izuku leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Shouto, burying his face in his neck. He nuzzled close, and the strawberry smell intensified.

"Izu…" Shouto rasped.

Izuku pulled back to look at Shouto, his eyes brimming with tears. Some of them fell down his cheeks.

It made him look so handsome.

"When you passed out, my heart nearly stopped!" Izuku said in between sniffles. "You were supposed to stay awake! Why didn't you listen to me!"

Shouto smiled softly. "Sorry."

Izuku frowned. "You idiot! Don't apologize!" He wiped his face and shook his head. "I thought I'd never get to speak to you again! I thought that my chance to tell you was gone forever…"

Shouto furrowed his brows. "Tell me what?"

Izuku stopped rambling for a moment, his jaw snapping shut. His cheeks bloomed a bright red as he looked Shouto in the eyes.

"Um, well…" Izuku sat back on his feet, his hand rubbing his cheek in a futile attempt to wipe away the blush. "I… Shouto, I… I've been wanting to tell you this for a while, but… I hadn't gotten the courage."

He paused, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to piece together the next few words. He tried a few times, but nothing seemed to really stick.

"Izuku, what is it?" Shouto asked, growing a little concerned.

Izuku took in another breath and then slapped his cheeks, making them even redder. He looked down at Shouto, determined.

"Shouto, I… I love you," Izuku said.

The words slipped in one of Shouto's ears and bounced around his mind until they settled deep in his gut.

Izuku… loved him?

"And… I couldn't admit it to myself for the longest time, and I know that there's the possibility that you don't feel the same way, and it's okay if you don't…"

Izuku's rambling turned into static in Shouto's ears. All he could hear were the words _I love you I love you I love you_ over and over in his mind. His stomach was fluttering as if a million butterflies were swirling around in his gut. But his chest was so, so warm.

He reached out with his good arm and cupped Izuku's cheek. He pulled him down and melted into a searing kiss.

Izuku was frozen at first, but he quickly caught on as he started to move along with Shouto, reciprocating the kiss in full. His hands reached up to cup Shouto's cheeks, tentatively tilting his head back just slightly. After a moment, they separated with wet lips and flushed cheeks, and they stared at each other with stars in their eyes.

"I love you, too, Izuku," Shouto admitted, feeling dizzy from the raw emotions that were swirling around inside.

Izuku beamed, his beautiful green eyes sparkling with happy tears. He giggled cutely and then leaned back down to press kiss after kiss along Shouto's jaw before landing on his mouth. Shouto hummed at the action, trying to move his arms to clutch Izuku's waist. But pain pulled at his shoulder and he winced, breaking the kiss with a hiss.

"Ah, are you okay?" Izuku asked, looking down at him. He gently touched Shouto's shoulder, moving the sling out of the way to look at the bandages. "The bullet in your shoulder went clean through, so there were no complications there. But the one that hit your side was stuck, so they had to dig it out."

Shouto blinked at him and then looked down at his side, noticing some bandages wrapping around his bare stomach.

He was… shot?

_"__Touya, I will do what I can to protect you. But please. I don't want to lose you again. I just barely got to know you the first time."_

_"__Shouto, watch out!"_

_"__Fire!"_

_ "__Don't! Please! He's my bro—"_

The sounds of bullets firing…

And then instant pain.

_"__What the hell?!"_

_"__Officer Todoroki is down! Call an ambulance!"_

_"__He just stepped in front of us, I don't know what happened!"_

Shouto closed his eyes, his memories flooding back in one painful jumble of images.

Wait. What happened to Touya?

Where was Touya?

"Shouto, hey… Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Izuku asked, cupping his cheek.

Shouto opened his eyes and looked at him, his brows furrowed and teeth clenched.

"What happened to Touya?" Shouto asked. "Izuku, what happened to my brother?"

He feared the worst—that the other police officers killed him. His mind was so fuzzy, he couldn't remember what exactly went down that night.

"Shouto, calm down. Take a breath, okay?" Izuku said. "Your brother was arrested. They took him to a high-level security prison."

The air stilled in Shouto's chest and then stuttered as he understood what Izuku just said. He sighed and slumped back against the hospital bed.

"Shouto—" Izuku gasped.

"They didn't kill him," Shouto said, not questioning it.

Izuku shook his head and cupped Shouto's cheek. "No, Shouto. He's alive."

Shouto took in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the feeling of Izuku's hand on his cheek. It was rough and callused, crooked from his injury. But he also felt warm and safe. His heart started to calm down at the news, but it still felt tight knowing that Touya was in a prison and there was nothing he could do.

"You okay?" Izuku asked. "Should I get a doctor?"

Shouto shook his head, leaning into Izuku's palm. "No, just… maybe some water?"

Izuku nodded and hurried to the counter on the other side of the room to fill a glass of water.

"How long have I been in here?" Shouto asked as Izuku walked back to him.

Izuku handed him the glass. It had a blue straw in it. "Two days."

Shouto frowned and sucked in some water, the feeling of it instantly quenching his dry mouth. He sighed after he took big gulps.

"Two days? Was I really out that long?" Shouto asked.

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Well…" He glanced down at his watch. "Almost three days, actually. The doctor said you went into shock and that your body was trying to heal after having emotional trauma."

Shouto quirked a brow at him. "Emotional trauma?"

Izuku tilted his head and smiled a little. "Usually getting kidnapped and then discovering that the kidnapper is your brother that actually _isn't_ dead are triggers for emotional trauma." He paused and pointed to his shoulder. "And getting shot on top of all that."

Shouto huffed and looked up at the ceiling. "Meh. It could be worse."

"_Shouto,"_ Izuku chuckled. "Please, don't say that. You'll jinx it."

Shouto smiled, grabbing ahold of Izuku's hand. "Fine. I'll do this instead."

He pulled Izuku down for another kiss, and the other boy hummed in his mouth. Shouto was getting dizzy from the feeling. His heart going into overdrive as he tried to keep up the pace. He could do this forever—

"Ahem."

Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin and squeaked as he pushed back from Shouto, almost falling right off the hospital bed. Aizawa was standing in the doorway, his arm still in a sling to match Shouto's, and he was wearing an unimpressed look on his face.

"Lieutenant!" Izuku said, scrambling off of the bed and standing as stiff as a statue. "We were just—I mean, I was just—"

Aizawa waved his free hand. "No need to get so frazzled. I had a feeling you two would become a thing anyway," he said.

Izuku's face flushed a deep red. "W-W-Wha—"

"Todoroki, how are you feeling?" Aizawa asked, interrupting Izuku's spazzing.

Shouto moved to sit up, the wound pulling at his side. Izuku rushed to his side and placed a pillow behind his back, his hand staying there. He nodded to Izuku in thanks before looking back up at his Lieutenant.

"I'm okay. I'm alive," Shouto said.

Aizawa's eyes narrowed a bit. "Yeah, you're lucky those shots weren't fatal."

Izuku flinched and lowered his head. Shouto reached over with his good hand and touched Izuku's side, squeezing his waist gently.

"I know. But they weren't, and I'm still here," Shouto said.

Aizawa took one more moment to glare at him before he let it slip from his face, sighing heavily as he shook his head.

"Yeah, I suppose there's that," Aizawa said. "I'm glad you're all right."

Shouto nodded in thanks, but his mind was still preoccupied with the large elephant that still stood in the room.

"Sir, what about… what about my brother?" Shouto asked. "Is he…?"

Aizawa paused. "In prison? Yes. Todoroki Touya, or as he likes to call himself, Dabi, is in prison."

Shouto frowned, feeling conflicted. "Is he… going to be executed?"

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath, his hand pressing into Shouto's back.

Aizawa blinked at him, seeming to think it over.

"His trial proceedings began yesterday," Aizawa said. "He's plead not guilty under the circumstances of insanity."

Shouto dropped his jaw. "He claimed insanity?"

Aizawa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's lookin' real messy, kid. He's involving your father in it, as well. He… spoke about the abuse."

Shouto snapped his mouth shut and looked away, his hand wrenching the bedsheets.

Out of all people, he didn't want his superior to find out about his childhood.

"He brought you up several times, too," Aizawa said. "It's only been one day of hearings, but it looks like the jury might be understanding."

Shouto swallowed and nodded, unable to look Aizawa in the eye.

"Shouto," Izuku whispered, rubbing his back. "You okay?"

He nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah, just… just tired, I guess."

"I'll let you get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow with more reports on the trials," Aizawa said. He turned to the door and started to leave, but Shouto turned his head and reached out his good hand.

"Ah, Lieutenant! Wait," Shouto called.

Aizawa stopped at the doorway and looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Shouto took a grounding breath. "Can I go see him?" he asked. "Is that… possible?"

Aizawa pondered it, his hand tapping on the doorframe. He nodded to himself once before looking at Shouto.

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"Shouto, are you really sure about this?"

"I want to see him. I _have_ to, Izuku."

"But it's only been one day since you were released from the hospital. You're not even supposed to be walking—the doctor hasn't cleared you!"

"Izuku, please."

Izuku watched as the man he loved struggled to pull his arm through his coat jacket. He sighed, knowing how stubborn he would be the moment he tried to help. But, he knew that he had to do something or they would never make it to the courthouse on time.

"Here, let me," Izuku said, grabbing the coat and guiding him into it.

Shouto sighed, obviously frustrated. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm a bit…" His voice trailed off, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say.

Luckily, Izuku knew what was wrong.

"Overwhelmed? Nervous?" Izuku asked, smoothing down the jacket over his shoulders.

Shouto sighed under his touch and slumped. "Yeah…"

Izuku hugged him from behind, his hands smoothing up his chest lovingly and gently, careful to not jostle his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Shouto. And we can leave any time you want," Izuku said. He kissed the back of his neck. "I'll be right there beside you."

Shouto melted back into Izuku, raising his hand to touch Izuku's. "Thank you, Izuku."

Izuku gave him one last gentle squeeze before getting off of him. He grabbed his things and gestured to the door.

"You ready?" Izuku asked.

Shouto nodded and followed Izuku down the apartment complex and to a squad car, Izuku sliding into the driver's seat. Sad, gray clouds hung ominously in the sky. How fitting for a day like today.

As Izuku drove, he kept eyeing his boyfriend in the passenger seat, noting how fidgety he was. Shouto's hand would sometimes cross his body to touch his tender side, a wince on his face.

"Sho? What's the matter?" Izuku asked when he kept reaching for the wound.

Shouto shook his head. "Nothing."

"Are you in pain?" Izuku asked, obviously not buying into what he was saying.

Shouto swallowed. "Just a little," he answered. "I'm fine. The painkillers are kicking in."

Izuku frowned, hating that answer. But he knew he had no right to scold him. If their roles were reversed, Izuku would no doubt try to find his way out and about, even if it killed him.

Izuku reached over and gently rested his hand on Shouto's knee.

"You'll tell me if you're in too much pain, right?" Izuku asked.

Shouto hummed. "Yes. You don't have to fret over me, Izuku. I can handle it." There was no malice or harshness in his voice. Just a quiver where his nerves had gathered.

"You were only shot a week ago, Shouto," Izuku said. "I'm allowed to fret over you."

Shouto frowned and turned his head away, nodding once. "I know, but…"

Izuku squeezed Shouto's knee. "Your brother's sentence is today. I understand, Shouto."

They stopped at a red light and Izuku turned to face Shouto, studying his face. Shouto was taking shallow breaths, his arm snug against his chest from the sling. He looked absolutely miserable.

"Whatever happens, Sho, I'm right by your side," Izuku said. "I promise."

Shouto turned his head to look at him and he managed a small, fragile smile. It was genuine, though, unforced.

"Thank you, Izuku," Shouto said.

Izuku leaned forward and gently kissed him, his hand cupping his scarred cheek. When he pulled back, he gave Shouto a smile, and then he continued down the road.

Rain started to lightly patter against the windshield as they pulled up to the courthouse, a giant raindrop plopping on Izuku's nose as he opened the car door. He hurried over to the other side to help Shouto stand. The wound on his side was still tender, and it made walking difficult.

"Okay," Izuku said once Shouto's good arm was secured over his shoulders. "You ready?"

Shouto took a moment to just breathe and then he nodded solemnly. He was stiff under Izuku's embrace, but Izuku tried to ignore it. He didn't want to make him even more nervous than he was.

He carefully guided him up the steps and into the courthouse, flashing his badge to the secretary at the front desk. They walked down to the main courtroom, which was guarded heavily by armed men at the doors. Izuku also showed his badge to the men, who nodded at him and quietly opened the doors for them to enter.

Izuku looked at Shouto, observing his profile. "I'm right beside you, okay?"

Shouto took a shaky breath. "Okay."

Izuku helped him hobble inside, and as soon as they crossed the threshold, the tension was palpable.

The people in the room sat stiffly, waiting for the judge, jurors, and convicted to make their appearance. It was intense, the air feeling thick as people spoke in low whispers.

"Shouto!"

Izuku jumped when he heard a voice calling out to them, and he looked over to see a man and a woman rushing over to them. As they got closer, Izuku realized that they both looked similar to Shouto.

"Fuyumi? Natsuo?" Shouto called in shock as they approached him.

Fuyumi, Izuku presumed, looked horrified to see the sling, her hand reaching out but not quite touching. Natsuo also looked a bit spooked at the sight.

"Shouto, what happened? Are you all right?" Fuyumi asked.

Shouto scratched at his cheek. "Oh. Yeah, I guess. Just… got shot."

"What?!" Natsuo exclaimed. "Dude, come _on._ You need to call us about these things!"

"Natsuo, don't yell," Fuyumi said, shushing him.

"Sis, we can't let him get away with this," Natsuo said. "He should keep in contact with us more. If he's in danger or hurt, he should be telling us over the phone, _not_ walking into a freaking courtroom!"

"_Nastuo,"_ Fuyumi hushed, grabbing his arm.

Ah, Izuku thought as the pieces clicked together. These two were his siblings.

"Guys, I'm fine," Shouto said. "I've been out of the hospital. I'm fine."

Natsuo and Fuyumi looked unconvinced, both of their faces showing concern and a hint of anger. The other patrons in the courtroom were looking at them, and that was when Izuku spotted Aizawa, who was also staring at them with his usual blank look. However, there was a bit of apprehension there, too.

Izuku glanced up at Shouto, noticing a light sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. He sighed. This was too much too fast. He shouldn't be here, not when things are this tense.

He patted Shouto's back. "Why don't we find a seat, yeah? You need to sit down."

That grabbed their attention, the two siblings finally seeming to notice Shouto's obvious distress.

"S-Sorry, Shouto. Here, you can sit with us," Fuyumi said.

Shouto hesitated, looking at the row where the two siblings just stepped out of. There was no sign of the Chief of police, which Izuku assumed he was looking for. He nodded to Izuku and he guided them to the row to sit down.

"Where's our old man?" Shouto asked as they sat down.

"Tch. You really think he'd show up to this?" Natsuo asked.

Shouto's brows pinched. "You mean he hasn't come at all?"

"Not one day," Natsuo said bitterly.

"He did see us in the parking lot yesterday," Fuyumi tried to defend. "But he didn't come inside."

"He's too scared to face the truth," Natsuo grumbled. "That he was the reason his eldest son turned into a psychopath."

"_Natsuo,"_ Fuyumi scolded, looking stricken.

"Oh, c'mon, Fuyumi. You know I'm right," Natsuo said, folding his arms across his chest. "That bastard needs to be here to see the damage his abuse has caused."

Izuku glanced over at Shouto, noticing that his breathing was a little shallower. He reached over and gripped his knee, getting his attention. Shouto looked over at him and Izuku gave him a small smile.

"We can leave any time you want," Izuku said.

Shouto took in a deep breath, shaking his head. "No, I… I need to be here."

Izuku nodded and patted his leg, keeping his hand on him to help ground him before he could spiral into a panic attack. That would be the last thing Shouto wanted to happen today.

Suddenly, the side door opened, and a flash of bright orange caught their eye. In walked Touya with his wrists in cuffs and guided by two buff security guards.

Shouto sucked in a harsh breath at the sight, his entire body stiffening. Izuku squeezed his thigh and sat closer.

"It'll be okay, Shouto," Izuku said softly. "It's okay."

Shouto nodded, his eyes never once leaving his brother.

Touya was looking down at the floor, looking indifferent, or maybe even tired, but when he lifted his head to scan the crowd, his gaze landed on Shouto. His eyes widened as he seemed to lock eyes with Shouto, understanding filling his sight. And then, he frowned and looked away, almost having a look of shame on his face.

Shouto sighed as Touya turned his back towards him to face the front. And soon after, a man walked in the front of the room.

"All rise," the bailiff said from the front of the room.

Everyone stood to their feet, Shouto a little slower than the rest, as the jurors entered the room and then the judge. She walked up to the podium and sat down, waving her hand.

"You may be seated," she said to the room. "The jury is back in session, and we will now proceed with the hearings and sentence agreement."

Shouto's free hand curled into a tight fist on his leg, and Izuku reached over to grab it, squeezing it gently in an attempt to give comfort. They both stared at the back of Touya's head, watching as he sat sluggishly in his chair.

It was inevitable. Whatever the sentence would be, it wouldn't be good.

"And the verdict is…" the judge said, pausing to collect the papers from the jurors. "Guilty of ten counts of murder of the second degree."

Izuku's eyes widened. Second-degree murder? Not first degree?

But Touya had planned everything out. Every single murder of a police officer was planned out thoroughly and precisely. So why…?

"I hereby sentence you to life in confinement plus fifty years," the judge said. She slammed her gavel down and then stood to her feet. "Court dismissed."

Izuku couldn't believe it. Touya wasn't getting executed. His plea for insanity must've worked after all.

"Nng…"

There was a small, choked noise, and Izuku glanced over to see Shouto gripping at his chest, looking stricken as he stared at his brother in the courtroom.

As people started to clear out, Shouto suddenly stood to his feet and made his way to the front.

"Shouto, wait a minute," Izuku called, hurrying after him.

Shouto made it to the barrier that separated the audience from the front of the courtroom, his good arm gripping the railing.

"Touya!" Shouto yelled, getting his brother's attention.

Touya turned around and looked him in the eye, his face unreadable. The guards were quickly approaching to take him away, so Shouto scrambled to continue.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you," Shouto apologized. "I'm sorry I couldn't rescue you when we were kids."

Izuku felt his eyes sting with tears. He pressed his palm flat against Shouto's back to be a comfort to him.

"I'll visit you whenever I can. And I'll write to you," Shouto said. "I'll try harder to be a better brother to you. I promise you that, Touya-nii."

Touya paused, taking in Shouto's words. The guards grabbed him by his arms and started to lead him out of the room.

Shouto looked about ready to jump the railing, his foot moving forward, but Izuku caught him by the sleeve, holding him back.

"Touya!" Shouto called out, desperately wanting some kind of response from the man.

They thought all hope would be lost, but just before Touya disappeared beyond the side door of the courtroom, he turned his head and looked Shouto in the eye. He gave Shouto one firm nod, and then the door slammed behind his back.

Shouto paused for a moment, his breath tight in his chest, and then he slumped.

Izuku looked over and was horrified to find a tear falling down his boyfriend's cheek.

"Shouto…" Izuku whispered, turning him by his shoulders. He reached up and cupped Shouto's cheeks, rubbing away the salty tear from his face. "Hey, it's okay."

Shouto inhaled sharply as Izuku pulled him into a loving embrace. He buried his face in Izuku's neck and gripped the back of his shirt, taking deep breaths.

"He's not going to die," Shouto whispered.

Izuku rubbed his back. "No. He's not."

"I can still fix our relationship," Shouto said, his voice trembling slightly.

Izuku smiled, eyes stinging like mad. "You can."

Shouto sniffled and took a deep breath, shivering violently.

"Shouto!"

"Sho!"

His other two siblings quickly rushed by his side and wrapped their arms around him, Izuku taking a step back to give them some space.

"Don't worry, Shouto. We'll visit him," Fuyumi said, rubbing his back.

Shouto looked at her, eyes shining. "Together?"

"Of course!" Natsuo said. "You really think we'd let you go by yourself?"

Shouto sniffled a little and then nodded, his shoulders sagging a little. "Okay. And can we visit Mom?"

Both Fuyumi and Natsuo looked taken aback by his suggestion, but then they squeezed him tight, their eyes shimmering.

"Yes, Shouto. We can visit Mom together," Fuyumi said.

Natsuo scrubbed at his cheeks and then looked over to Izuku. "Yeah. And you can bring your boyfriend with you."

Izuku flushed at the name, his eyes looking to Shouto for support. But Shouto smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeah. I would like that."

He held out his hand, beckoning Izuku to come closer, and Izuku all but sprinted over to their group to be pulled into their embrace. Izuku nearly collapsed into them, smiling as he peered up at Shouto's face. And Shouto was smiling. Even though there was pain laced in his eyes, he still tried to smile.

That moment, Izuku promised to always try to keep that handsome smile on Shouto's face.

* * *

6 Months Later…

* * *

The first thing Shouto noticed as he woke up was a clear head and a gentle brush of fingers on his bare skin.

He opened his eyes, seeing the faded plastic stars still glued to the ceiling, and then he glanced down, watching as Izuku traced the bullet scar on his side reverently, lovingly. He glanced up when he noticed that Shouto was awake.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Izuku asked, his fingers still gently rubbing his side. He also was shirtless, his warm chest pressed against Shouto's cooler body.

"No, you're fine," Shouto said. He sat up just slightly on his elbows. "What are you doing?"

Izuku glanced down at Shouto's side, his fingers circling the bullet scar.

"It looks like it's healed pretty nicely," Izuku commented. "Does it still hurt?"

Shouto glanced at it. It was still a little puckered from the surgery, and a little gnarly from the stitches, but it had overall healed. It still pulled when he stretched the wrong way, though, which was annoying. But he got away with his life, so he tried not to complain much.

"Sometimes," Shouto answered. "But it's not bad."

Izuku smiled and then leaned down to press a kiss in the middle of Shouto's stomach, making him blush. He patted Shouto's side and sprung off of the bed.

"Ready for our day off?" Izuku asked. He grabbed a t-shirt and quickly pulled it over his head, his beaming smile bright and ready for the day. He patted into the bathroom just across the hall, still in earshot. "We haven't had a day off in such a long time. What are we even going to do with ourselves?"

Shouto sat up and rubbed his eyes. "We have lunch with my mother."

"Oh, yeah! And maybe we can go see a movie tonight?" Izuku asked.

Shouto hummed in response, still trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

It had been an eventful six months. Aizawa became the new Chief of Police after Enji mysteriously stepped down. Even Shouto wasn't made aware of his father's plans. But because of his resignation, the police station was busier than ever.

Izuku got his promotion to Detective, which Shouto was incredibly happy about. He would catch up to him. One day.

After all, it was Izuku who came to his rescue the night of his kidnapping.

"Ah, Sho? Can you turn on the coffee pot for me?" Izuku shouted from the bathroom.

"Mmn," Shouto mumbled as he pulled on some sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

Scratching his belly, he made his way to the kitchen, turning on the coffee pot. Once the water started to drip down, Shouto made his way to the living room and turned on the TV, changing it to the local news station.

"…his location is still unknown, but he is considered highly dangerous and…"

Shouto blinked rapidly at the news report flashing on the screen.

Shouto tuned out the reporter and stared at the picture of his brother's face on the screen. The title of the report was, "Murderer escapes from prison."

"Touya?" Shouto whispered, listening to the reporter.

"There was a small gas explosion at the local prison, but luckily no one was injured. The only prisoner to escape goes by the name of Todoroki Touya, who was convicted as the fire murderer nearly half a year ago."

No way. Touya…

He escaped?

"Shouto! We've got trouble!"

Izuku came skidding into the living, his phone up to his ear. He looked frantic, toothpaste still clinging to the corner of his mouth. He stopped when he noticed the news, both of them looking at the mug shot of Touya on the screen.

"I can't believe he escaped," Izuku said, hanging up with whoever was on the line. He placed his hand on Shouto's shoulder. "You okay?"

Shouto nodded, his eyes on the screen as the helicopters and other police officers struggled to find his runaway brother. He wondered how far he went, and how far he would go to change his appearance. He wondered if he would go back to killing again or go after their father.

Suddenly, a knock at the door pulled Shouto from his thoughts. He blinked rapidly and then made his way to the front door of their apartment, pulling it open to find no one standing on the other side.

Shouto blinked at the empty space. He stuck his head out into the hall and glanced down the hallways, but there was no one to be found.

This… was weird.

Then, Shouto looked down. There was an envelope on the ground right in front of the door.

It had the word "Brat" written neatly on the front.

Shouto's heart leaped as he ripped the envelope open, pulling out a single sheet of worn notebook paper.

_Yo, brat. Thanks for all the letters, even though they were sappy as hell._

Shouto inhaled sharply. Could it…?

_I'm not telling you anything incriminating, with you being a stand-up cop and all. So make your own assumptions about this letter._

_Tell Fuyu and Natsu I'm fine. And tell Mom I love her. And tell dad he can go to hell._

Shouto swallowed. Was he… leaving? Would he ever see him again?

_Don't worry. And I'm not gonna kill the old bastard. Sis talked some sense into me, so I'm trying to do things differently. And I'm not skipping town. I'll be seeing you around. But I won't look the same._

Shouto breathed out a sigh of relief. So he would see him again. He wondered when that would be.

_Oh, and thanks for sticking out your neck for me. Glad to see you pulled through. That was stupid, by the way._

Shouto let out a huff of laughter. Yeah, that might've been one of the stupidest moves he had ever done in his life.

But it was worth it.

_See you, dumbass._

_-T_

Shouto shook his head, smiling softly down at the letter. He really hoped that everything he said was true.

While he should mention something about this to the Chief… there really wasn't any hints of his whereabouts.

Shouto supposed he would have to keep an eye on him.

"Sho?" Izuku called from inside the apartment. "I was thinking that maybe we should go into the office today, just to check in with the Lieutenant and see what we can help with."

Shouto hummed, his eyes scanning over the letter a few times. A small part of him agreed with Izuku, wondering if he should actually go to the precinct to help in the search for his brother on his day off.

But…

"Shouto? What do you think?" Izuku asked, appearing behind him and touching his back. "I'm worried that he'll be after you again."

Shouto paused, his eyes raking over the letter one last time before gently handing it to Izuku.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about it," Shouto said.

Izuku gave him a skeptical look before scanning over the crinkled paper, his eyes blowing wide as he snapped his gaze up to stare at Shouto in shock.

"Shouto, this… this is—"

"We'll stop by the precinct to turn the letter in," Shouto said. "But I don't think we need to worry. I think we'll be safe."

Izuku bit his lip and nodded, looking a little out of it. "Okay. Well, this goes against what I'm used to doing."

"You mean jumping headfirst into situations?" Shouto asked.

"Hey! I'm not the only one who keeps their safety off when on patrol," Izuku scolded.

"It's faster that way."

"It's _dangerous_ that way."

Shouto rolled his eyes playfully and huffed out a laugh, which made Izuku smile. He handed the letter back to Shouto.

"I guess we should get ready to go," Izuku said. "You okay?"

Shouto took in another breath and smiled softly.

"Yeah. I think I am."

* * *

END


End file.
